Round report
Hatton, Rahm and Laporta share Abu Dhabi lead; McIlroy one back
Tyrrell Hatton, Jon Rahm and Francesco Laporta share the lead on −12 at Yas Links after Laporta's double bogey at the 14th. Rory McIlroy is one back after a 63.
Rory McIlroy made 11 birdies at Yas Links on Friday, the most he has made in a round on the DP World Tour. His 63 leaves him one shot behind Tyrrell Hatton, Jon Rahm and Francesco Laporta, who are on −12 after two rounds. His opening 70 included a two-shot penalty for pressing his club behind the ball at the 12th.
He bogeyed the 1st and birdied the 2nd, 4th and 7th. At the 9th he hit his approach from 140 yards to four feet, Sky Sports reported, the first of five birdies in a row to the 13th. He laid up at the 14th, missed the green and dropped a shot, then birdied the 15th, 17th and 18th. He said he had “a clear conscience” about the penalty and expected to be two or three behind going into Saturday.
McIlroy, with seven Race to Dubai titles, is one short of Colin Montgomerie’s record. Eugenio Chacarra, top of the Race to Dubai, shot 71 and is tied 38th on −3, nine behind.
Laporta started the day three ahead and was one over after six holes. Birdies at the 7th, 8th and 9th put him back in front, but a wayward drive at the par-4 14th led to a double bogey, and birdies on the 15th and 18th got him round in 70. Laporta is 57th on the Race to Dubai list this week; the top 50 on Sunday night qualify for the DP World Tour Championship.
Hatton turned in 30, with birdies at the first two holes and four in a row from the 6th. Two more at the 11th and 13th gave him the lead on his own, before a bogey at the 16th. Hatton’s 2021 win in this event came at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. In four starts at Yas Links he has been second once and in the top ten twice more, according to Golf Digest Middle East. “Really happy how I’ve played,” he said after his 65.
Rahm, playing in the last group, birdied the 2nd, 3rd and 5th to take the lead, then made four birdies and three bogeys over the next seven holes. Two putts for a birdie at the 18th gave him a 67 and a share of the lead. “Only thing to take back would be just a couple of bad tee shots right now,” he said.
| Pos | Player | To par | R1 | R2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Tyrrell Hatton | −12 | 67 | 65 |
| T1 | Jon Rahm | −12 | 65 | 67 |
| T1 | Francesco Laporta | −12 | 62 | 70 |
| T4 | Rory McIlroy | −11 | 70 | 63 |
| T4 | Matthew Jordan | −11 | 66 | 67 |
| T4 | Adrian Meronk | −11 | 66 | 67 |
| T4 | Sam Bairstow | −11 | 65 | 68 |
| T8 | David Puig | −10 | 70 | 64 |
| T8 | Bernd Wiesberger | −10 | 65 | 69 |
| T10 | Manuel Elvira | −9 | 69 | 66 |
| T10 | Adam Scott | −9 | 68 | 67 |
Adam Scott is bogey-free through two rounds. Tommy Fleetwood made five birdies in a row on his front nine in a 66 and is tied 12th on −8, with Daniel Hillier and Ewen Ferguson. Aaron Rai, the defending champion, shot 71 and is tied 20th on −6. Patrick Reed, second in the Race to Dubai, followed his 74 with a 71 and is tied 57th of the 70 players on +1.
There is no cut. Saturday’s third round is live on Sky Sports Golf from 07:00 to 13:00 GMT and on Golf Channel in the US from 02:00 to 08:00 ET.
Sources
- DP World Tour: Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship 2026 leaderboard
- ESPN: 2026 Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship leaderboard
- Sky Sports: McIlroy storms into contention with career-high 11 birdies
- Golf Digest Middle East: Rahm and Hatton join Laporta atop the leaderboard
- Golf Today: Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship 2026 R2
- Golf Monthly: How to watch the Abu Dhabi Championship 2026
Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it. Our editorial standards.
