A two-shot penalty for brushing sand away from his line on the ninth hole cost Rory McIlroy a share of the lead at the halfway point in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The 22 year-old US Open champion would have been tied with Dane Thorbjorn Olesen on seven under par, but must instead settle for joint fourth position on five under alongside Tiger Woods, Scot Paul Lawrie, England’s Robert Rock and three others.
Ulsterman Gareth Maybin and Italian teenager Matteo Manassero share second place on six under, while Padraig Harrington shot a 69 to leave him on four under, with fellow Irishman Graeme MacDowell a stroke further back after adding a 69 to his opening round of 72.
Defending champion Martin Kaymer, winner of the title in three of the past four years, failed to make the cut along with Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie. Lee Westwood had looked in danger of missing out as well but three birdies on the back nine saw him home with two strokes to spare on level par despite a neck problem that has been troubling him since Christmas.
McIlroy’s infringement was immediately brought to his attention by playing partner and world number one Luke Donald who finished the day on one under after shooting a level par 72. Removing sand from your line is allowed on the greens, but McIlroy was six feet off the putting surface at the time.
"I wasn't thinking clearly and just made a very stupid mental mistake," he said. "There was so much sand in my line I didn't even think about it. I'll definitely not do it again. It happens and you just have to take it on the chin.”
McIlroy’s mishap was reminiscent of what happened to Padraig Harrington at the same event last year. The Dubliner shot an opening 65, but was disqualified a television viewer complained his ball had moved a fraction on a green.
Tiger Woods, meanwhile, will be quietly confident after a 69 kept him well and truly in the mix for the weekend. "I thought I played well today," he said. "I feel like I'm swinging well and a lot of things that Sean (coach Sean Foley) and I have been working on are starting to feel very comfortable.”
Collated second round scores and totals, Abu Dhabi GC, UAE
(GBR & Irl unless stated)
Par 72
137 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 70 67
138 Gareth Maybin 68 70, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 73 65
139 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 68 71, Rory McIlroy 67 72, Tiger Woods (USA) 70 69, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 67 72, Robert Rock 69 70, Richard Finch 68 71, Paul Lawrie 70 69
140 Richie Ramsay 69 71, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 70, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 71 69, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 70 70, Padraig Harrington 71 69
141 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 74 67, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 70, James Kingston (Rsa) 72 69, Graeme McDowell 72 69, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 72 69, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 70 71, Johan Edfors (Swe) 70 71.