Rory McIlroy, the world number two, was penalised with two strokes for improving his lie during the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship. The DP World Tour announced that McIlroy breached Rule 8.1b(4), which allows a player to lightly place a club directly in front of or behind the ball. The penalty was handed down after his round.
The incident occurred on the par-four 12th hole at Yas Links, where McIlroy pressed the grass behind his ball with his club before a chip shot. After his first chip, his third shot overall, the ball rolled downhill and stopped in a depression. McIlroy stated that the ball was at the bottom of a sandy hollow. The penalty changed his six into a quadruple bogey eight, and McIlroy signed for a score of two under par 70.
Despite the penalty, McIlroy said he "clearly had no intention" and was "happy" to accept the penalty, adding: "I play by the rules." The Northern Irishman, who is chasing a record eighth Race to Dubai title, had looked to make a strong start to the tournament with a four-under-par 68. He was two under par 34 through the first nine holes and made a birdie on the 11th, before stringing together three consecutive pars from the 14th. He failed to make a birdie on the par-five 18th hole before being informed of the rule.
The penalty leaves him eight shots behind leader Francesco Laporta, who took the lead with a three-shot advantage from an opening 62. The Italian Laporta produced eight birdies and one eagle, but had to settle for par on the 18th hole where an eagle would have given him a course record of 60. McIlroy is now level with Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra on two under par, while American Patrick Reed played 74 in the first round, making a double bogey on the final hole after finishing in the water.
Spanish Chacarra leads his compatriots Reed and McIlroy in the overall season standings after three wins this year, and recorded six birdies and four bogeys in the first round. Chacarra aims to become the third Spaniard – after Seve Ballesteros and Rahm – to triumph, while Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, would be the second American after Collin Morikawa to win the season crown. McIlroy hopes to equal Colin Montgomerie with eight titles.
Jon Rahm impressed in his first round since leaving LIV Golf, playing a bogey-free 65. The two-time major winner had not played since the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in September due to the birth of his daughter. Rahm is level with England’s Sam Bairstow and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger, while Matthew Jordan and Adrian Meronk are one shot further back. Defending champion Aaron Rai and England’s Tyrrell Hatton played 67, and Tommy Fleetwood is level with McIlroy and Chacarra on two under par. Fleetwood lost to Rai in last year’s play-off.
The top 70 available players from the Race to Dubai standings compete in Abu Dhabi, and the top 50 advance to the final DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
