McIlroy reinforces Race to Dubai command as Højgaard takes lead at DP World Tour Championship
Rory McIlroy, the world No. 2, carded a determined three under par 69 in Friday’s second round of the DP World Tour Championship, strengthening his position in the Race to Dubai. Despite acknowledging he wasn't at his sharpest, McIlroy climbed into a tie for second place at nine under for the tournament.
McIlroy is currently three shots behind Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard, who leads the field outright at 12 under after posting a superb second-round 65.
Race to Dubai Title Contention
McIlroy is seeking to secure his seventh Order of Merit title. Only two players still pose a theoretical threat:
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Tyrrell Hatton (England) shot a 67 and sits at seven under in a tie for 11th. Hatton must win the event and hope McIlroy finishes outside the top eight to remain in contention.
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Marco Penge (England) is well back in a tie for 44th after signing for a 70.
Second Round Leaderboard Highlights
Nicolai Højgaard (Denmark) took the outright lead with his round of 65, which included a birdie-eagle start. The 2023 champion reached six under through his opening nine holes.
The tie for second place at nine under includes McIlroy and three other players:
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Shane Lowry (67)
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Justin Rose (67)
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Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (67)
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Daniel Hillier (68)
Players one shot further back at eight under include Robert MacIntyre (67), Tommy Fleetwood (71), Laurie Canter (68), and Alex Norén (68).
The DP World Tour Championship features the Tour’s richest purse at $10 million, with the top 10 players in the Race to Dubai also sharing a $6 million bonus pool at the season’s end.
