Golf Scorecard: McIlroy shoots 63 in Abu Dhabi

Rory McIlroy finished Friday's round at the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship with a score of 63. That total represents a new personal best for him on the DP World Tour. He recorded 11 birdies during his round.

The performance moved McIlroy to 11 under par. He now trails the leaders by a single stroke. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton currently share the lead at 12 under par after 36 holes. Francesco LaPorta also sits in the top group at 12 under.

Hatton and Rahm both recorded eight birdies on Friday. Hatton limited his mistakes to a single bogey. Rahm carded three bogeys alongside his birdies. He described his overall play as pretty good in a post-round interview.

McIlroy started his round with a bogey on the first hole due to an unplayable lie. He then responded with consistent play. He credited improved consistency in his driving and iron play for his strong finish. He specifically noted better performance on the greens.

The Irishman said he saw more putts go in than he has in recent months. He worked with coach Brad Faxon the previous week. That session helped him gain confidence on the short game. This follows a difficult stretch in India where he struggled to sink putts.

McIlroy accepted a two-stroke penalty on Thursday. The ruling came after he was found to have improved his lie on the par-4 12th hole. He initially recorded a double bogey before adjusting his score to an eight. This meant he opened the tournament with a 2-under 70.

He stated that he accepted the penalty to avoid the perception of gaining an unfair advantage. He said he made peace with the decision and did not dwell on it. He preferred being two shots worse off to being viewed as having cheated.

The tournament standings reflect recent shifts in the sport. Rahm and Hatton returned to the European circuit after time on LIV Golf. They were former teammates in the Legion XIII squad. McIlroy is focused on securing another title in the Race to Dubai standings.

Eugenio Chacarra and Patrick Reed occupy the top spots in the Race to Dubai standings. Chacarra leads that competition at 3 under for the tournament. Reed is at 1 over. McIlroy is chasing them for the season-long prize as the event moves into the weekend rounds.