Antoine Rozner hit a flawless seven-under-par 65 to overhaul Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton to high the leaderboard after the second spherical of the A$15.5m World Tour Championship in Dubai on Friday.
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Northern Eire’s McIlroy, bidding to equal Seve Ballesteros’ mark of six European Tour Order of Benefit crowns, and England’s Hatton had led in a single day within the season-ending match.
Frenchman Rozner completed with 4 straight birdies and had no bogeys as he took a one-shot lead over McIlroy and Hatton, who each hit 69.
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“It’s a kind of days the place all the pieces goes in and I had a ton of enjoyable on the market,” stated world quantity 154 Rozner, who carded 70 within the first spherical.
“I simply assume the arrogance clicked and all the pieces goes the correct means.” McIlroy solely wants a top-10 end to safe a sixth Race to Dubai title of his profession, matching Ballesteros.
McIlroy made a quick begin with three birdies in his first 4 holes. One other adopted on the seventh as he climbed to nine-under, solely to bogey the eighth and tenth to reward the result in Rozner.
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McIlroy parred his solution to the par-five final, the place he produced a stellar second shot inside 15 ft and brushed the left fringe of the cup with the eagle putt which might have seen him rejoin the lead.
“A bit upset that I didn’t kick on after such an incredible begin, 4 below by way of seven,” McIlroy stated.
“At this level, I’m simply attempting to win the golf match and if I win the golf match then all the pieces else that occurs alongside that’s good.
“Proper now, my focus is, you realize, I’d like to get my third title right here on the Earth course, and if I can try this, then yeah, all the pieces else will likely be nice.
“It was good to complete with a birdie and at the very least shoot one thing within the 60s after the beginning that I had.”
McIlroy is looking for his first title since Might after a irritating 12 months punctuated by a number of near-misses, together with in agonising style on the US Open.
Hatton needed to grind his means into competition after bogeying the fourth, hitting again with a birdie putt on the sixth earlier than including one other on the eighth.
The world quantity 18 holed from eight ft on the tenth to select up a shot and when he holed a clutch putt from eight ft for birdie on the fifteenth, he was one adrift of Rozner.
The fiery Englishman completed his spherical, nevertheless, venting his frustrations over the ultimate gap — a 611-yard par-five — in a rant caught on digicam.
“Completely tragic. I despise all the pieces about this gap,” he instructed caddie Hugo Dobson. “Having to hit nine-iron after hitting a great tee shot exhibits how unhealthy it’s.
“I imply it’s simply so ridiculous. Every thing about this I despise. Really terrible golf gap.”
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann carded an eagle, 5 birdies and two bogeys in his 67 to take a seat at seven-under in sole fourth.