Shane Lowry moved into a share of the lead at the Dubai Invitational after two rounds, while Rory McIlroy slipped down the Dubai Creek Resort leaderboard following a difficult second day that included
several errors in the water and on the card.
The Irish player reached five-under overall after a second-round 68, adding to an opening two-under start. That left Lowry tied with Spain’s Ignacio Elvira at the top, as both players handled the challenging conditions better than many rivals at Dubai Creek Resort.
Lowry’s three-under effort on day two featured five birdies, showing control in windy, testing stretches. The round contrasted sharply with McIlroy’s second outing, as the world number two followed a bright first day by dropping from first place to a tie for fifth on the Dubai Invitational leaderboard.
McIlroy, who had led after the opening round, hit the water four times during a three-over 74. That score included five bogeys and left McIlroy at two-under overall and positioned T5, still within range but no longer setting the pace at Dubai Creek Resort.
Tommy Fleetwood also fell back after starting level with Lowry on day two. Fleetwood signed for a seven-over 78, with five bogeys and one double bogey. The difficult card pushed Fleetwood down to T39, despite beginning the round in a share of the early lead at the Dubai Invitational.
Englands Marcus Armitage closed the second round two shots behind Lowry and Elvira, holding outright third place at three-under. David Puig matched that total to sit alongside Armitage in a tie for third, forming the nearest group of challengers on a compressed Dubai Invitational leaderboard.
A cluster of contenders followed just behind them on two-under. Angel Ayora, Antoine Rozner and Thriston Lawrence all ended the day level with McIlroy in fifth place. That group remained three strokes off the lead heading into the weekend at Dubai Creek Resort.
Lowry said playing alongside McIlroy helped maintain focus in the gusty, swirling conditions. The pairing, built on a long friendship, gave Lowry a relaxed environment as the leaderboard shifted around them during a demanding second round at the Dubai Invitational.
"Very happy. It was hard. It was tricky," Lowry told Sky Sports.
Attitude, artistry and Dubai Invitational leaderboard ambitions at Dubai Creek Resort
Lowry felt the DP World Tour season opener was as much about mindset as technique. The 2019 Open champion suggested that staying upbeat, especially in a sociable group, made it easier to commit to creative shot-making around a demanding Dubai Creek Resort layout.
"The first tournament of the year, you don't know what to expect. So going out there in the last group now on Saturday is nice, and keep it going and we'll see what happens. I do quite enjoy it, the artistry of moving the ball around and hitting different shots. We had a great group today. When you're out there having a bit of fun it's easier to play good golf so that attitude for the rest of the year and I'll be pretty good. "
With Lowry and Elvira in front, a group of experienced players sat within a few shots on the Dubai Invitational leaderboard. The scores after two rounds set up a competitive weekend at Dubai Creek Resort, with McIlroy and others still close enough to challenge if momentum shifted.
