Abu Dhabi Championship: McIlroy storms into contention with career-high 11 birdies in DP World Tour round

Rory McIlroy stormed into contention at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship with a sensational second-round display, carding 11 birdies to reach 11 under par.

It was the most birdies McIlroy has ever recorded in a single DP World Tour round. Having started the day on two under par, the two-time Masters champion carded a stunning second-round 63 at Yas Links Golf Club.

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Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and England's Matthew Jordan are also firmly in contention near the top of the leaderboard, although all three are yet to complete their second rounds.

Meanwhile, England's Tommy Fleetwood made a significant move up the standings, carding five consecutive birdies on his front nine before signing for an impressive six-under-par 66.

McIlroy, who is out to leapfrog Race to Dubai Rankings leader Eugenio Chacarra to win a record-equalling eighth Order of Merit title, dropped off the pace on Thursday after he was assessed a two-stroke penalty for improving his lie at the par-4 12th.

He endured a difficult start to his Friday round, slicing his opening drive out of bounds and dropping a shot on the first hole. However, he responded immediately with a birdie on the second before picking up further shots on the fourth, seventh and ninth.

The Northern Irishman continued his impressive scoring on the back nine, producing four consecutive birdies between the 10th and 13th holes. Having driven the green on the 354-yard par-four 14th on Thursday, McIlroy opted to lay up this time but paid the price after missing the green with his second shot, resulting in another bogey.

He quickly recovered, though, birdieing the 15th before closing his remarkable round with consecutive gains on the 17th and 18th.

"I did everything well again," McIlroy said. "I drove the ball well. I hit my irons well. I putted a little bit better. I saw a few more putts go in, which is something that I haven't been seeing for the last couple of months.

"I finished second at Wentworth. Felt like if I had holed any putts at the weekend, I could have walked away with the win there. Struggled on the greens in India.

"But I did some work with Brad Faxon last week and feel like I'm in a better spot with it. I definitely saw some encouraging signs on the greens today."

McIlroy added: "I would say I'll be at least two or three behind going into tomorrow, but I'm still in a much better position than I thought I would be. So yeah, give myself a great chance, and that's all I can ask for."

More to follow...

Watch the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 7am on Sky Sports Golf. Get the latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract.

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