Rory McIlroy suffered a sand nightmare in the desert to fall nine shots behind leader Paul Waring at the Abu Dhabi Championship.
World No.229 Waring shot a career-best 61 to take a five-shot lead into the weekend of the DP World Tour’s first playoff event.
But McIlroy runied his second round with a triple bogey six on the par-3 17th after finding two bunkers with his first two shots and then three-putting the green.
The Ulsterman had been seven-under par for his first 16 holes but had to settle for a second consecutive 67.
“I played quite nice up until that point, and even felt like I hit a nice shot into 17, a nice flighted 5-iron, hit the down slope and trundled into the bunker,” said the world No.3.
“It wasn’t a great leave in the first place, but the club bounced on me, there wasn’t a lot of sand wherever the ball was in the bunker there, and I just sort of made a mess of it from there.”
McIlroy, who can clinch a sixth Race to Dubai title with a win on Sunday, came from 10 shots behind at halfway to win in Dubai in January
But the four-time Major winner admitted: “I shot 63 on that Saturday in Dubai and I’m going to need something similar, if not lower, to give myself a chance going into Sunday.
“I need the golf course to firm up a little bit and toughen up a little bit to have a chance. There’s so many gettable holes out there.”
Waring proved the point with his closing birdie. From 265 yards out, he hit a 3-wood to three feet to move to 19 under par for the tournament.
“That was the best shot I’ve ever hit in my life to be honest,” Waring said. “The tee shot on 18 was a little bit peculiar for me because I had been hitting it great all day, so even over that three wood I felt like could I hit a solid shot into the part of the green and just hit a little draw.
“In total honesty I’m just trying to keep going, keep making birdies. Obviously feel great, swinging it great. Putter is behaving. That’s I’d say a weak spot for me now and again but I’ve done a lot of work on it, and since moving over to Dubai I’m very used to these style of greens as well.
“I’ve got a nice lead at the moment but even before I tee off tomorrow, someone might have caught me. So if I’m going to be involved on Sunday afternoon I’ve still got to keep going the way I am.”
First-round leader Tommy Fleetwood is in a group tied in second place on 14-under par after his 68.
