DP World Tour Championship second round standings
-5 T Hatton (Engr.), R McIlroy (NI); -4 K Reitan (Nor), J Luiten (Ned); -3 M Lindberg (Sweden), F Schott (German), V Perez (Fra); -2 J. Schaper (SA), J. Rahm (Spa), D. Puig (Spa)
Others selected: -1 E Chacarra (Spa); E A Scott (Aus), C Hill (Sco); +3 T Fleetwood (English); +6 A Rai (English); +8 P Reed (United States)
Complete ranking
Rory McIlroy is tied for the lead at the halfway point of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship as he targets a record eighth title in the Race to Dubai.
The six-time major winner followed a three-under opening 69 with an up-and-down 70 to join England’s Tyrrell Hatton atop the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
Hatton combined for five birdies and two bogeys to shoot 69, while day leader Joost Luiten shot a 73 to find himself one shot behind Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan.
McIlroy, who is assured of equaling Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight season crowns with victory this week, is four shots ahead of Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra.
The Spaniard, who won three times earlier this season to lead the standings this week, birdied his final two holes to finish at one under.
“I think it was a bit eye-opening to see the goals in the first two days,” world number two McIlroy said.
“I don’t think the wind is supposed to be this strong this weekend, so the score could be a little better.
“Like I said, the score this week, because of the layout of the course, is just not as good as in previous years. I’ve been coming back to the golf course for over 15 years, and you just associate this course with a pretty low score.
“And then when that’s not the case, you just have to reframe what constitutes a good score. Anything in the 60s, it seems, this week is a good score.”
Gn sports
