Frenchman Antoine Rozner took the lead midway through the DP World Championship after Rory McIlroy failed to build on a blistering start in Dubai.
McIlroy shared the lead overnight after an opening 67 and birdied four of the first seven holes Friday, but played the other 11 holes in one over par to finish eight under alongside his playing partner Tyrrell Hatton.
Rozner’s stunning bogey-free 65 gave him a one-shot lead on nine under as he bids for a fourth DP World Tour title.
“I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t come out after such a good start, from four under to seven, feeling like I was in complete control of what I was doing,” McIlroy said.
“Then I started missing a few fairways on the turn. When you start missing fairways, the way the course is set up this week, you’re going to start to struggle.
“So I made two bogeys in the next three holes. I steadied the ship a little, but I felt like I wasted a few opportunities on 14 and 15. But I played well the last three holes.
“It was good to finish with a birdie and at least get something in the 60s after the start I had.
“My comfort level around this place, it’s always been there since the first time we played in 2009. But yeah, the course is different.
“I have to do a better job of hitting the fairways. I did this for the first few holes and then let it slide a bit. I started to miss the driver a little left mid-round.
“If I can hit the fairways here, then the greens are very receptive and you give yourself a lot of chances. I feel so comfortable in this place and have already had success. So I like my chances for the weekend.
Rozner, whose first DP World Tour title came at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ other course, made two birdies on the front nine and five more in the space of seven holes from the 10th to record the round’s fastest lowest of the week so far.
“It’s one of those days where everything comes into play and I had a lot of fun,” Rozner said.
“Before the last two weeks, in Korea and Abu Dhabi, I was having a hard time putting everything together, but I just think the confidence has built and everything is going the right way.
“The margins are very small in this game, so sometimes it goes as planned and sometimes it doesn’t. Today was one of them [where it does].”
Hatton admitted he remained frustrated with his play despite making just one bogey on his 69 and could be heard saying he “despised” the 18th hole after making his second shot on the par-five.
“I’m taking the positives from two days where I don’t feel like I’ve played the kind of golf I’m capable of, and we’re one shot ahead going into the weekend,” Hatton said .
“Hopefully I can find something and do it a little better.” It would make this weekend a little more exciting for me.