Hojgaard leads World Tour Championship with McIlroy among Ryder Cup stars in pursuit

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Nicolai Hojgaard moved into presumption to triumph the season-ending World Tour Championship for a 2nd clip by taking a three-stroke pb connected Friday, though a slew of Europe's Ryder Cup stars were good placed to pounce.

The chasing battalion included Rory McIlroy, whose superb abbreviated crippled salvaged a 69 successful the 2nd circular that kept him connected way to seizure a 4th consecutive year-long Race to Dubai rubric for being Europe's No. 1 player.

McIlroy was tied for 2nd spot successful a five-man radical that included Justin Rose (67) and Shane Lowry (67). Fellow Ryder Cuppers Robert MacIntrye (67) and Tommy Fleetwood (71) were a further changeable backmost and Tyrrell Hatton (67) 1 much changeable adrift.

They were each looking up astatine the 70th-ranked Hojgaard, who didn't marque the Ryder Cup squad this clip — that grant fell to his duplicate brother, Rasmus — but is showing a reminder of his quality astatine the Earth Course this week.

The 24-year-old Dane changeable 65, the debased circular of the day, to backmost up his opening 67 and was 12 nether for the week. Hojgaard won the tourney successful 2023, didn't suffice for it past year, but is dominating a star-studded tract connected his return.

His lone different 36-hole pb connected the European circuit was astatine the World Tour Championship 2 years ago. That remains his past win, too.

“It's 1 of my favourite tournaments to play," Hojgaard said. "It's large to beryllium backmost successful a spot of form.

“It suits my eye. It plays into my strengths, which is mid-irons. It's conscionable a truly bully acceptable for me.”

McIlroy mixed six birdies with 3 bogeys connected a time erstwhile helium was mediocre by his standards disconnected the tee but his wedge play was magical.

“I felt similar I showed my scoring skills today, and battled good and stayed patient, and got the shot up and down erstwhile I needed to,” McIlroy said. “And overall, to sprout 69, I’m beauteous pleased considering immoderate of the spots that I recovered myself.”

Alongside McIlroy, Lowry and Rose successful a necktie for 2nd was Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (67) and Daniel Hillier (68).

Only Marco Penge and Hatton — 2nd and 3rd successful the Race to Dubai standings, respectively — tin overhaul McIlroy this week. Penge (70) appears retired of it successful 44th place, 12 shots disconnected the lead, truthful lone Hatton tin realistically halt the Northern Irishman.

Hatton, who is 5 down Hojgaard, needs to triumph and for McIlroy to decorativeness worse than tied for eighth with 1 other.

“You commencement each tourney week trying to triumph the tournament,” said Hatton, who plays connected the breakaway LIV Golf circuit. “It’s benignant of nary different. I cognize I request results to spell my mode if that was to happen. I’m not truly reasoning astir it excessively much. Just trying to play better.”

Fleetwood started the 2nd circular successful 2nd place, 1 changeable down Michael Kim, and had a frustrating time with the putter. He made 1 eagle — astatine the par-5 No. 2 — on with 16 pars and 1 bogey.

That dropped changeable ended a singular tally of 69 holes without a bogey, stretching backmost to the 15th spread of the 2nd circular successful Abu Dhabi past week erstwhile helium mislaid successful a playoff to Aaron Rai.

Kim changeable 76, having opened with a 64.

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