Dubai Invitational R2 Leaderboard: Rory McIlroy finds penalty area FIVE times during round

Rory McIlroy endured a second round to forget at the Dubai Invitational as he sent five balls into a penalty area at Dubai Creek Resort. 

In blustery conditions, McIlroy found the penalty area on both the 6th and 18th, as well as the water on the 13th, 14th and 17th.

To his credit, he was still able to play his third shot from the penalty area on the final hole but it would still lead to a bogey and a round of 3-over 74.

Despite his lacklustre Friday efforts, the Northern Irishman still remains in contention at the DP World Tour's first event of 2026. 

McIlroy held the outright lead heading into the second round but he ended it three shots off the pace.

It wasn't all doom and gloom out there for him on day two as he did make a tramliner birdie on the 16th (watch below).

The lead now belongs to his best pal Shane Lowry, who played alongside McIlroy for the first 36 holes, and Spain's Nacho Elvira. 

Lowry and Elvira both carded steady rounds of 68 to move to 5-under par.

They now lead the chasing pack by two shots heading into the weekend. 

Ireland's Lowry is a six-time winner on the DP World Tour but his last victory on the circuit is a while back at the 2022 BMW PGA. 

Elvira is a two-time winner, with his last title coming at the 2024 Soudal Open. 

LIV Golf's Spanish star David Puig and England's Marcus Armitage are in a tie for third on 3-under par.

McIlroy is then a further shot back on 2-under par.

The grand slam champion is using a number of new clubs this week, including the brand new TaylorMade Qi4D Driver and a new TP5 ball.

But the biggest amendment to his bag is arguably the most radical he's made of his TaylorMade career, something our Equioment Editor Georgina Black has explored in her latest Reel (watch below). 

McIlroy has officially removed his Rors Proto blades and replaced them with TaylorMade P7CB irons to provide him with a little more forgiveness.

The World No.2 spoke more about his iron change after the first round, which you can read here. 

McIlroy has also broken his silence on Brooks Koepka's shock return to the PGA Tour. 

The Northern Irishman is looking to match Colin Montgomerie's all-time Order of Merit record (eight) on the DP World Tour this season.

Elsewhere, Tommy Fleetwood suffered one of his worst rounds in recent memory.

Fleetwood, who starts the season third in the world, tumbled down the board with a disastrous 7-over 78. 

The Englishman finds himself at 5-over par for the tournament.

He's still around for the weekend though as it's a no-cut 60-man event. 

Fleetwood has been testing the waters with new clothing in Dubai.