Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Francesco LaPorta share the lead at 12 under par after two rounds of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links. Rory McIlroy sits one stroke back at 11 under following a second-round 63 that featured 11 birdies, a personal best for the seven-time Race to Dubai winner on the DP World Tour.
Rahm and Hatton set the pace
Rahm and Hatton, former Legion XIII teammates on LIV Golf, each carded eight birdies on Friday. Rahm added three bogeys to Hatton's single dropped shot. "Pretty good play," Rahm said. "Only thing to take back would be just a couple of bad tee shots right now, feeling fairly comfortable otherwise."
McIlroy's birdie masterclass
After an opening bogey on the first hole, McIlroy rattled off 11 birdies over his final 17 holes. "I did everything well again. I drove the ball well. I hit my irons well. I putted a little bit better," McIlroy said. He credited recent work with Brad Faxon for improved putting: "I saw a few more putts go in, which is something that I haven't been seeing for the last couple of months."
Penalty put behind him
McIlroy's 63 came a day after he received a two-stroke penalty for improving his lie on the par-4 12th, turning a double bogey into an eight and leaving him with a first-round 70. "Before I left the course, I made peace with it," McIlroy said. "I'd much rather be two shots worse off than be called a cheat."
Race to Dubai implications
McIlroy played the opening round alongside Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra and Patrick Reed. Chacarra sits at 3 under after rounds of 70-71, while Reed is at 1 over for the tournament.
