‘It doesn’t look good’: McIlroy gets two-shot penalty after ruling he improved his lie

Ulsterman insists was no intention on his partLaporta leads Abu Dhabi ChampionshipRory McIlroy was handed a two-shot penalty after his first round at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday, with officials ruling he improved his lie on a hole where he made double-bogey to spoil his card.McIlroy’s score of six at the par-4 12th hole turned into an even uglier eight and left him posting a two-under 70 to be eight shots off the lead, held by Francesco Laporta after his bogey-free round of 62. Continue reading…

Rory McIlroy was handed a two-shot penalty at the Abu Dhabi Championship, with officials ruling he improved his lie on a hole where he made double-bogey to spoil his card Rory McIlroy was handed a two-shot penalty after his first round at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday, with officials ruling he improved his lie on a hole where he made double-bogey to spoil his card. McIlroy’s score of six at the par-4 12th hole turned into an even uglier eight and left him posting a two-under 70 to be eight shots off the lead, held by Francesco Laporta after his bogey-free round of 62.

In actions that have dented his bid to win a record-tying eighth season-long Race to Dubai title, McIlroy was seen in video footage pressing his club on grass behind his ball that had rolled back down the hill and into a divot after he duffed an attempted chip on to the green on the 12th. “There’s no intent. I play by the rules,” said the world No 2,