Sports · November 5, 2026
McIlroy handed 2-shot penalty, admits video 'doesn't look very good'
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Rory McIlroy received a two-stroke penalty following the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship after tournament officials determined he had improved his lie on the 12th hole. The world No. 2, who had initially recorded a double-bogey on the par-4 hole, saw his score adjusted from a 6 to an 8, resulting in a 2-under-par 70 for the day. Video footage captured McIlroy pressing his club into the grass behind his ball after a duffed chip shot rolled back into a divot. While McIlroy maintained there was no intent to breach regulations, he acknowledged that the footage "doesn't look very good" and accepted the ruling after discussions with officials.
Read the original coverage
- ESPNSports network
McIlroy handed 2-shot penalty, admits video 'doesn't look very good'
Read at ESPN ↗ - New York PostTabloid
Rory McIlroy gets costly penalty as controversial video circulates in $2 million Race to Dubai
Read at New York Post ↗ - The GuardianMainstream
‘It doesn’t look good’: McIlroy gets two-shot penalty after ruling he improved his lie
Read at The Guardian ↗
Reported by multiple outlets
- Rory McIlroy was assessed a two-shot penalty after his first round at the Abu Dhabi Championship
- Tournament officials ruled that McIlroy improved his lie on the par-4 12th hole
- McIlroy's score on the 12th hole was changed from a 6 to an 8
- McIlroy finished the round with a 2-under-par 70
- Francesco Laporta leads the tournament with a bogey-free 62
- The incident occurred after McIlroy duffed a chip and the ball rolled back into a divot
- McIlroy met with officials in the scorer's hut to discuss the incident
- McIlroy stated he had no intent to break the rules
Reported by only some outlets
- McIlroy is currently ranked as the world No. 2
- McIlroy is attempting to win a record-tying eighth season-long Race to Dubai title
- The tournament is taking place on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026
Confirmed
- McIlroy received a two-shot penalty for improving his lie on the 12th hole at the Abu Dhabi Championship
- The penalty changed his score from a 70 to a 72 (2-under par)
- Francesco Laporta leads the field after shooting a 62
- McIlroy admitted the video footage did not look good but denied intent
Reported
- The penalty has significantly dented McIlroy's bid for an eighth Race to Dubai title (New York Post)
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