Antoine Rozner has the lead at the halfway point of the DP World Tour Championship after the second round, at 9 under par, after a superb round of 65 shots.
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A well-known name to golf fans, Rory McIlroy is one stroke behind, and it can be said that he did not take advantage of a good start. After four birdies in the first seven holes, Rory had two bogeys in the next three holes, which caused him to lose the advantage he had. The experienced golfer finished with 69 shots.
Tyrell Hatton and he now share second place.
The 34-year-old golfer will follow the performances of Thriston Lawrence, considering that if Lawrence does not win, Rory will win the title for the best player of the season. The 27-year-old golfer is nine shots behind.
In an interview with the media, the Northern Irishman pointed out that he had a furious start, which promised great things. Although Rory had the feeling that he was in control of things, he experienced a momentary slump and seemed to lack concentration in key moments. It's a problem the seasoned golfer has faced many times this season. McIlroy began to miss fairways, which deepened his concerns and led to a decline in his performance.
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"I got off to a great start, four under through seven. I was feeling like I was in total control of what I was doing and then I just started to miss a few fairways around the turn. When you start missing fairways the way the course is set up this week, you're going to start to struggle."- McIlroy said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
The popular golfer addressed bogeys in the next three holes. It was felt that a period of crisis was ahead of Rory, but he somehow managed to save things with the last three holes. Finishing with a birdie helped him, and it is clear that McIlroy has the right to hope for a great finish to this tournament. An experienced golfer will have a chance to show his best the next day.
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"So I made two bogeys in the next three holes, I steadied the ship a little bit, but felt like I let a couple of chances slip by on 14 and 15, but played the last three holes well. It was nice to finish with a birdie and at least shoot something in the sixties."
Tyrrell Hatton reflects on his performance
In an interview with the media, Tyrrell Hatton reflected on the performance, considering that three under is actually a result that is acceptable considering the adversity he faced. The 37-year-old Englishman points out that it is in his nature to strive for better results, and admits that he is frustrated with the performance.
Hatton is someone who on the one hand wants to look at things positively, trying to be optimistic about his future. Tyrell expects much more from himself when it comes to the future, believing that he has the potential to do much greater things than he currently does.
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The experienced Englishman wants to hit better in the coming days, wanting to make the weekend more exciting. The coming days could give an answer as to whether Tyrrell can really do more than what he has shown so far.
Antoine Rozner reflects on his performance
As we pointed out, Antoine Rozner is the current leader. The 31-year-old Frenchman does not want to put pressure on himself after having the lead. Rozner admitted that he wants to maintain his focus in the coming days and try to win on Sunday. His desire, just like many on this Tour, is to win a PGA Tour card, with the wish to take a step further in his career. Antoine has the right to be happy with the season behind him, admitting that he wants to make the most of his chance.
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The French golfer marked his day as a day in which everything went out of hand, stressing that he enjoyed playing in this tournament. Although he had some periods of crisis in the last weeks, in Korea and Abu Dhabi, Rozner feels as if he got the necessary confidence, which in the end could be decisive to achieve victory here. Antoine knows his colleagues well in this tournament, believing that the nuances can decide who will emerge as the winner. The 31-year-old is aware that he had an ideal day, and hopes that the following days will be equally successful for him.
It will be interesting to see who will emerge as the winner. It seems that the fans are most focused on McIlroy.This will certainly be a huge motivation for the Northern Irishman to try to achieve victory.
