Rory McIlroy at Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2016: Friday Score and Reaction
Rory McIlroy endured a frustrating second round at the 2016 Omega Dubai Desert Classic and briefly flirted with missing the cut as he shot a level par round of 72 on Friday.
An opening 68 had put him firmly in touch near the top of the leaderboard on Day 1 but five bogeys peppered his second-round scorecard and saw him drop drastically off the pace.
Here is the Northern Irishman's scorecard from Day 2 at Emirates Golf Club:
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| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 35 |
| Score | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 38 |
| Overall | -3 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -1 | -1 |
| Par | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 72 |
| Score | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 72 |
| Overall | -1 | E | E | -1 | -1 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -4 | -4 |
As with his first round, McIlroy made a poor start, making a five on the par-four first having found the sand.
However, unlike Thursday, the world No. 2 continued to struggle as he played on and dropped another shot with a short missed putt for par on four.
He claimed the shot straight back at the fifth as he found a birdie three, but it did not serve as a shot in the arm for his round as he then missed a 10-foot birdie chance at six.
Things then went south at the par-four eighth as he missed the green with his approach despite a magnificent drive. He then took three more to get up and down.
Another bogey came at the ninth as McIlroy struggled from a bunker, and he reached the turn in 38, which was right on the edge of the cut line at one under par, per the European Tour:
The putts were just not dropping for the four-time major winner, and he remained at one under despite setting up a good birdie chance from a bunker on the 10th.
He then dropped to even par after a bogey at 11, a poor long putt having left him too much to do to make par.
But a routine birdie on the par-five 13th—getting up and down having put his second shot to the green's edge—put him back the right side of the cut line.
A well-judged curling putt at 16 moved McIlroy further under par, and an immaculate chip on the 17th set up a short birdie chance which he duly took.
He was forced to lay up at the par-five 18th after his drive was short, but he gave himself the chance of a third consecutive birdie as he chipped to inside 15 feet.
A swinging downhill putt sneaked into the hole and made for an excellent finish despite his earlier struggles.
McIlory has plenty of work to do on Saturday if he is to get himself in contention for victory on Sunday as the co-leaders currently sit at nine under, but his strong finish has given him a chance.
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