Lowry just four back as McIlroy forgets "scoring boots" in Abu Dhabi
Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry got top marks on his "first day back at school" but Rory McIlroy has work to do to make the grade in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links.
As the Offaly man made six birdies in a five-under 67 to lie tied ninth, four shots behind clubhouse leader Scott Jamieson at Yas Links, McIlroy had 32 putts with three of his four bogeys in a level par 72 coming in his last four holes.
Scoring was so good that 66 players broke par before darkness halted play with McIlroy a shot outside the projected cut mark and set to face 40 mph gusts on Friday.
Lowry had the first of two three-putts at the par-five second, but after knocking in a 44 footer for a two at the fourth, he made four birdies in five holes from the seventh,
"It was a good day's work though a bit like the first day back at school because you never know what is going to happen", said Lowry, who three-putted the 12th from just 12 feet but made amends by pitching in for a birdie at the 15th.
"I was happy with my score even though I played okay though I wasn't aggressive enough and had a different tempo, but overall, I felt I did well, and a 67 is a good starting score.”
McIlroy missed two early chances but was still two-under after five holes before he pulled a 234-yard long iron into the creek at the par-five 18th and made six to turn in one-under.
He birdied the 405-yard fifth with a good wedge to six feet but paid for a poor tee shot with a bogey at the sixth, then followed a chip and putt birdie four at the seventh with two closing bogeys.
"It was a frustrating finish to a frustrating day", said McIlroy, who three-putted his penultimate hole from 40 feet, then pushed a three-wood onto the bank of the creek at the ninth and couldn't get up and down from 100 yards.
"I actually felt like I hit the ball okay as I started off hitting some nice shots and I missed a few chances early."
After watching a 12 footer dodge the hole at the last, he said: "I struggled to read the greens, if anything, as I felt like I hit some good putts that just didn't go in, and that putt on the last was the story of the day.
"Overall, I had two bad drives on the last couple of holes, and apart from that, I felt like I hit the ball well off the tee, and I hit some good iron shots but just didn't have my scoring boots on."
Jamieson (38) made nine birdies in a bogey-free, course record 63 to lead by a shot from Norwegian Ryder Cup star Viktor Hovland (24).
Pádraig Harrington had 36 putts, including three three-putts in a one-over 73 that left him tied 90th with Open champion Collin Morikawa while Jonathan Caldwell was three-over-par with three holes to complete this morning.