'Stupid' error costs McIlroy Abu Dhabi lead
Friday 27 January 2012
Rory McIlroy promised never to make the same mistake again after a two-shot penalty cost him a share of the halfway lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Friday.
Northern Ireland's US Open champion would have been alongside Dane Thorbjorn Olesen - a rather less well-known 22-year-old - but for brushing sand away from his line on the ninth hole of his second round.
Olesen leads by a shot from McIlroy's fellow Ulsterman Gareth Maybin and Italian teenager Matteo Manassero, who shot a best-of-the-week 65.
Also tied with Tiger Woods and McIlroy, who will play together in the third round, are Scot Paul Lawrie, England's Robert Rock and Richard Finch, Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and Swede Robert Karlsson.
Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington are among those one further back.
McIlroy's error would have been all right if it had been on the green, but he was six feet off the putting surface and world number one Luke Donald instantly brought it to his attention.
"I wasn't thinking clearly and just made a very stupid mental mistake," McIlroy said following a level-par 72 that left him tied for fourth on five under par and part of a group which also included Tiger Woods.
Asked if he did not know the rule or just had a loss of concentration, he added: "I think it was a little bit of both - first week back as well.
"Luke said, 'Don't think you can do that', and I was like, 'Oh yeah, I can't, can I?'.
"It happens and you just have to take it on the chin.
"There was so much sand in my line I didn't even think about it. I'll definitely not do it again."
McIlroy certainly did not blame Donald for pointing it out and remembered what happened to Padraig Harrington in the same event last year.
The Dubliner shot an opening 65, but then was disqualified after an eagle-eyed television viewer spotted that his ball had moved a fraction on a green.
There was outcry about the unfairness of that and the rule was subsequently changed, but on this incident McIlroy said: "It's a bit of a weird rule. You can move a loose impediment like a divot out of your line. You can't move sand.
"Not a weird rule, but a tricky rule. That's the same penalty as hitting the ball out of bounds. It's tough, but the rules are the rules and we've got to play by them.
"I'm sure Luke was put in an awkward position there, but he had to say it. If I was in his position I would have said the same thing.
"It's fine. I have a hundred more tournaments to play, so it's not life-and-death out there."
While world number one Donald remained deep in the pack on one under with a 72, Woods is right in the thick of things heading into the weekend.
He is, of course, going for a second successive victory after more than two barren years and for a while it looked as if he might even catch 171st-ranked Olesen.
Olesen still has a host of players snapping at his heels, but he was a runner-up three times in his rookie season last year.
