Rory McIlroy slips into fifth-place tie at Dubai after 74

Field Level Media|published: Fri 16th January, 11:32 2026

Rory McIlroy waves as he walks off the 18th green during the final round of The Players Championship PGA golf tournment Sunday, March 16, 2025 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun tied at 12 under par for the tournament and will face a three-hole aggregate playoff on Monday at 9 a.m. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

First-round leader Rory McIlroy dropped into a tie for fifth place with a second-round 74 on Friday at the season-opening Dubai Invitational.

The Northern Irishman offset two birdies with five bogeys, including the 17th and 18th holes at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. At 2-under par, McIlroy is three shots behind co-leaders Nacho Elvira of Spain (68 on Friday) and Ireland's Shane Lowry (68).

Spain's David Puig (72) and England's Marcus Armitage (70) share third place at 3-under. McIlroy, the World No. 2, is level with France's Antoine Rozner (72), Spain's Angel Ayora (72) and South Africa's Thriston Lawrence (71).

Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood of England plummeted into a tie for 39th after carding a 7-over 78 on Friday. He double-bogeyed the 218-yard, par-3 eighth hole.

--Field Level Media

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