A two-shot Rory McIlroy penalty has taken the shine off his opening round at the Abu Dhabi Championship. The ruling found that he improved his lie by pressing down the grass behind his ball with his club. The incident came before he played a chip on the par-four 12th at Yas Links.
The infraction was assessed after his round and turned a six into a quadruple-bogey eight. Those were his only dropped shots of the day, and he signed for a two-under 70.
McIlroy had appeared to make a strong start with a four-under 68. Instead, he now sits eight shots behind leader Francesco Laporta as he chases a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.
McIlroy responds to the penalty
The 37-year-old said “obviously there’s no intent” on his part, but he is “happy” to accept the sanction.
“I play by the rules,” said the six-time major winner. “I try to do everything that I can to never end up in these positions.
“But just by looking at the video, like it doesn’t look very good. Obviously that wasn’t my intent. I’m just trying to get a feel for the lie.”
McIlroy then explained what happened at the 12th.
“The ball is in a sort of bottom of a sandy divot,” he said. “I’m trying to feel like if I can get a 54-degree (wedge) on to the back of the ball, but in the process, this piece of grass has sort of laid down, and I guess the technical term for the rule is if you press down on the piece.
“I don’t feel like I pressed down. But at the same time, I don’t want the perception of people thinking like I got away with something either, so I’m happy to take a two-shot penalty and move on and move into tomorrow.”
What the Rory McIlroy penalty means for the Race to Dubai
The world number two is now tied with Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra on two under. Meanwhile, American Patrick Reed struggled to an opening 74. Reed sits second in the standings, one place ahead of McIlroy.
