Shane Lowry holds a share of the lead going into the weekend at the Dubai Invitational as Rory McIlroy slipped from the summit after an eventful second round that saw him find water four times.
Lowry carded a three-under 68 in windy conditions at Dubai Creek Resort and is joined at the top of the leaderboard on five under by Spain's Ignacio Elvira.
But McIlroy, who had started the day with a one-shot advantage after his excellent opening 66 on Thursday, finds himself three shots adrift in a tie for fifth after a 74.
Pádraig Harrington and Tom McKibbin are tied for 39th, ten shots off the leaders, on five over, after a 75 and 73 respectively.
Lowry is looking for his first DP World Tour title since winning the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, and he showed his quality with his irons and nerveless putting to overhaul playing partner McIlroy.
The 38-year-old started the day three shots behind, but climbed to the summit with five birdies and two bogeys in his 68 – the joint lowest round of the day along with Elvira.
McIlroy could only muster two birdies and carded five bogeys as he signed for a three-over 74 to sit in a share of fifth at Dubai Creek Resort.
"Very happy. It was hard. It was tricky," Lowry said. "If I play golf like that for the rest of the season in that frame of mind, I'll be pretty good.
"The first tournament of the year you don’t know what to expect. So going out there in the last group now on Saturday is nice, and keep it going and we’ll see what happens."
McIlroy needed a birdie at the third to regain his one-shot lead after Antoine Rozner – starting on the back nine – picked up shots at the 10th and 12th to climb up to five under.
The Holywood golfer briefly extended his advantage to two when Rozner double-bogeyed the 13th, but he dropped a shot at the sixth to halve the deficit.
The world number two slid a difficult par putt by at the ninth and he was joined by Thriston Lawrence, who had birdied the fourth and fifth, at four under.
Lowry, who bogeyed the ninth to slip back one, made it a three-way tie with a birdie putt at the 10th before Marcus Armitage joined the leading pack after his fourth gain of the day at the fourth.
However, Lawrence and McIlroy bogeyed the par-three 14th and Armitage followed suit at the ninth – his last – to slip back to three under, leaving Lowry at the top of the leaderboard on his own.
Lowry and McIlroy birdied the 16th before the latter found the water for the fourth time of the day at the 17th as he closed with successive bogeys to slip three behind his playing partner.
The Offaly man parred his way home to join Elvira, who birdied four of his last six holes to set the clubhouse target of five under.
"I feel like off the tee I hit it really well," the Spaniard said. "That’s something I struggled with in the past and we made a couple changes, and I think it’s paying off."
Englishman Armitage is in a tie for third with David Puig at three under, while Lawrence, Rozner and Angel Ayora are one shot further back alongside McIlroy.
Additional reporting: PA
