By Sohaib Shams
Rory McIlroy recovered from a two-shot penalty to shoot a nine-under-par 63 in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship, moving to 11 under par and taking the clubhouse lead on Friday.
Penalty response
The Northern Irishman had been penalized on Thursday for improving his lie on the 12th hole at Yas Links, leaving him eight shots behind leader Francesco Laporta after the opening round. He responded with 11 birdies, a career high for a single DP World Tour round, despite a bogey at the first hole.
Race to Dubai implications
McIlroy is chasing a fifth consecutive Race to Dubai title and a record-equalling eighth overall, which would tie Colin Montgomerie. He entered the event third in the standings behind Eugenio Chacarra and Patrick Reed.
Chacarra shot a second-round 71 to sit at three under, while Reed also carded a 71 to fall to one over. The top 70 players in the Race to Dubai rankings are competing, with the top 50 advancing to next week's season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
