McIlroy fires 63 after penalty, moves into Abu Dhabi contention

Rory McIlroy rebounded from a two-shot penalty in his opening round to shoot a 9-under 63 on Friday at the Abu Dhabi Championship. The penalty, assessed after officials ruled he improved his lie on the 12th hole during Thursday's play, had turned his double-bogey into an eight and left him at 2-under for the day.

Despite the setback, McIlroy made 11 birdies in his second round, moving him to 11-under overall and within striking distance of the leaders. He stated after his round that he "didn't dwell" on the penalty, focusing instead on his performance. The penalty had initially put him eight shots off the lead held by Francesc Laporta.

McIlroy's impressive comeback on Friday positions him as a contender in the tournament, showcasing his resilience after the ruling. The incident occurred on a par-4 hole where he had initially scored a six, which was then adjusted to an eight due to the penalty.