Rory McIlroy holds a share of the 36-hole lead at the DP World Tour Championship, yet he admitted to growing frustrated with the course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. The six-time major champion is chasing his eighth Race to Dubai title at the season-ending event, where he sits joint top alongside Tyrrell Hatton.
Despite his strong position, McIlroy expressed his irritation with how the Earth Course played as it dried out during the second round.
McIlroy on the toughest test in 17 years
Speaking to Sky Sports, McIlroy explained that the conditions made the course unusually difficult. He said: “If anything, I started to get frustrated with the golf course, as it dries out, lies in the fairways not very good, and greens start to get bumpy, and I started to get a little frustrated with the course on the way in. I think it’s just the nature; it’s a tough test.”
He added: “I think as well, I’ve been coming to this golf course for 17 years, and this is the toughest I think it’s ever played, so in my mind it’s like ‘I should be going out shooting 66 and 65’, and the course just isn’t set up that way this week, and you just have to show a little bit more patience out there.”
McIlroy arrived at the tournament second in the season-long standings. A victory would mark his fifth consecutive win of the title. Nine players entered the week with a mathematical chance of winning the overall Race to Dubai, but only leader Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, McIlroy and third-placed Patrick Reed can do so without winning the tournament itself.
Horschel pays tribute to Dan Hicks
The event is taking place following the death of legendary golf commentator and presenter Dan Hicks at the age of 64, a loss confirmed by his wife on Instagram. Former PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel has since shared a ‘beautiful’ message he received from Hicks after Horschel’s wife, Brittany, opened up about her battle with alcohol addiction.
Speaking after the opening round of the Austin Championship, Horschel paid his own tribute to Hicks, saying: “Through the years we’ve exchanged messages and everything. I remember he sent me a beautiful message, I think shortly after my wife and I talked about her addiction to alcohol and her being in rehab.”
Horschel continued: “His wife, Hannah, is an unbelievable woman herself. Those are sportscaster royalty right there, and what they’ve both done in their careers. When I got out on Tour, he was great to me early on. I remember winning the FedEx Cup and talking to him afterwards and seeing him. It’s sad that we’ve lost a member of the PGA Tour, a member of the media that was so well respected amongst his peers, amongst the players. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about Dan Hicks.”
