Stellar Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Tommy Fleetwood threeball leaves Abu Dhabi open-mouthed
The marquee group had them open-mouthed in the desert. Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood were a combined 18-under for the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship. Away from the majors and Ryder Cup, Fridays do not get any better in golf.
Of course, the brunt of the interest falls on McIlroy, as he tries to win for the first time in 16 months following his four-month break. The Northern Irishman has yet to card a bogey, making a mockery off all those concerns about rust. And when he needed the grandstand finish, he produced one with his 25-footer for eagle on the 18th for a 66 to bring him within three of the pacesetter Thomas Pieters.
The Belgian showed what was possible with his morning 65, to move to 12-under, before handing over the stage to the players at the top of the billing. From the off Johnson, the world No1, tore into the layout he only managed to par on Thursday, birdieing the first and going through the first eight in four-under.
McIlroy joined in, his back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th carried him to four-under for the day. And all the while Fleetwood, the defending champion who was celebrating his 27th birthday, impressively kept up with his major-winning partners, negotiating his first dozen in three-under before birdieing the last two for a 68 to stand on 10-under, alongside another Englishman in Ross Fisher, with only Spain’s Jorge Campillo separating them from the leader.
But by then, it was McIIroy dancing in the spotlight, setting up his three on the 562-yard finale with a wonderful approach.
“That was massive,” McIlroy said. “Five shots to make up over the weekend would be a lot especially with a bunched leaderboard,” he said. “If I get off to a hot start tomorrow, before the leaders go off … well, all of a sudden you're one back and you're really in the tournament.”
Any doubts about McIlroy’s physical well-being following the rib injury which blighted 2017, were consigned to the trash in a series of thunderous drives. There can be no bigger compliment at the moment than saying he matched Johnson in this department.
“That proves I'm back to full fitness and 100 per cent health,” McIlroy said. “DJ is definitely the No 1 player in the world right now and one of, if not the best driver of the golf ball, and to be up there with him over the first two days proves to me I'm doing the right things and gives me confidence,” he said.
McIlroy revealed that under the guise of coach Michael Bannon he made a few “tweaks” to his technique in his protracted close season. “I was sort of setting it too flat, a little too behind me, not controlling the downswing with my lower body,” he said. “So I was creating a two-way miss.”
He was most pleased with his wedge play, which has for so long being considered a weakness in his game. “That’s right where it needs to be,” he said.
And so, too, is McIlroy, as he tries to go one better than his four runners-up placings in Abu Dhabi. But if Johnson and, indeed, Pieters might be tough nuts to crack then the same will doubtless apply to Fleetwood.
What a way this was for the Southport golfer to mark a milestone. It highlighted that the European Tour order of merit crown he won two months ago has hurtled him into a different orbit.
“However long my career is, I'll struggle to get a better three-ball,” Fleetwood said. “Dustin shot the most stress-free 64 you’ll ever see - and Rory the most stress-free 66. It was a bit more stressful for me but I really holed out well, so I’ll just kept going.”
