Rory McIlroy | Round 2 Highlights | 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic

I'm only about 185 ball speed so three miles per hour up on that that's about six yards is going to gain out of that. You just don't hit it that far it's just not possible. How's your wedge going today Rory? A little sawn off follow through that's when you do it your best. Awful. It's just a shocker for Rory to start with. Downhill all the way trying to chunk it on there it's uh it's not easy. Yeah Wayne called it. You go into that rough you just don't know what you're going to get. So a wedge in hand 12 feet for par. Not good enough. We've talked about it historically in the past with a wedge it's it's it's it's about always giving yourself a putt for a body when you get a wedge in the hand you just you can't be strict with the par. Where is it? Well you could see it's over the back. I told you didn't I? Square clubface and just release it up to it. Yeah so so just about everything range to be acceptable. There we go bogey the first birdie's the second. That race started the day at two under par. Yeah it liked it to have been another 15 yards up the green but the line was perfect. Yeah whilst those prickly greens can showcase flaws for the top players it allows the artistry to come out the touch and feel that they possess. He was in the thick rough down the right hand side here yesterday McElroy clipped the tree it's fallen straight down now where has it finished up? Excellent absolutely as he'd have hoped pitched it all the way as Wayne said got some grab that that was the big thing there because pitched it all the way back to the pin. Boom didn't break I knew there wasn't a lot in it. Hit a good putt then you can be excused that was a good putt. Hardly moved at all did it? So just a par for McElroy there he stays where he started the day in this first Rolex series event of 2025. It's his go-to shot banging line banging distance. One of the best we've seen so far today at number seven this is begging to be hold. Turned its toes up at the hole did you see that go right at the hole that's the grain when it runs out of puff it just grabs it. Yeah I think I think he hit a good putt didn't he Radar just didn't read it right but it looked a good read for all money. I get those flags on the groundstand I just got all over the place just to add confusion to I'm not surprised about that really just couldn't go left. No it's a difficult hole so it's a four and a half really in the afternoon this par four still not easy this though. Interesting one who's ended up giving himself the left to right or the right to left. A high quality putt from Rory there. Three par fives on the back nine. Out with a three wood that's plenty fairway canvas from right to left you need to hug the right hand side. It's a three wood if he finds the fairway and it's a six iron. That's perfect as Wayne says he's not going to have a long second shot in there and that right there is the difference yeah yeah that's the difference with hitting three wood off the tee rather than trying to bullet a driver down there he doesn't need to have that much power in his bag. This boy can as well it's a god-given talent this for an eagle down the hill doesn't hold a thing but he can still get it to that number I called six under and he'll be lurking behind like a bad smell. Just 24 feet of putts through the first nine holes that's nothing it's this is all pretty straight from here. It's in yeah and remember Rory is going for a fifth Hero Dubai Desert Classic title and for three in a row after his victory here last year. Just right of it Rory as long as you get it on that middle step 20 feet right of it all is good don't miss it left it's Deadsville. Probably ours right probably the target. It's time for him to start holding a few he's got the left to rights going. I mean this guy today he's putted well without making anything it really does happen it sounds weird but you can putt well and Peter Smeichel just hides in that hole and he keeps on tapping it out. Peter Smeichel of course my former Manchester United goalkeeper one of your favourites no doubt Nick Dosey. What's it like when it does get in your head Nick what's it tell us honestly well you've been there. Was that you Wayne or was that me again? No you you were there you told me that you got into your head you swing and what what what. Hang on a sec this is great. What sort of happens? That's a spot of bother there there's bushes over there. That's where his power comes into play it's not just with the driver but to generate the clubhead speed to hit off bad lies like that and he's left himself a relatively easy shot. Good shot that Laura. Yeah it sounded a wonderful strike from that awkward lie. One bounce check and a little bit of release. Lovely exactly as Radar called it he is one of the very best. Stick high 12 foot left straight putt at that as well kind of been the story of the day hasn't it really for Rory McIlroy he's had some chances not taken very many of them. He saw what Wayne saw a mystery oh no no no that's a club shy thing has gone wrong with the calculations there what would be good 10 feet past it would be really good that is pretty good horrible. For par to stay at three under. Apologies for Rory's language there took a long time to miss but it did miss we've seen it all day long they move left to right yeah he can go through the green here he just can't miss it right short right there's nothing wrong with that's that's gonna be all right you know trampled down yeah good angle for the second yes dad a touch of a surgeon superb beautifully judged can't believe I'm saying this is this for the second birdie of the day it's a horrid effort whatever it was been a tough day on the greens for him Andrew yeah sure has Wayne is all absolutely nothing um didn't didn't see this from him today I must admit I saw a six under perfect club just a little moon ball to get this thing come down softly the wind right into your face pulled with a tad I bet you wish you did that a couple of years ago yeah safely on dry land though so we're gonna make five at the very worst from there nicely played good contact definitely do a putt you would think like it is for Rory McIlroy so he gets it to three under par he was 10 shots back remember last year with two rounds to play he will have eight to make up Rory you've added a 71 to yesterday's 70 just how does that leave you feeling um a little frustrated uh but I thought the conditions were a little tricky um this afternoon the wind was up a little bit more the green started to get a little bit firmer um and yeah I just you know it was it was hard to you know pit it close and make a ton of birdies you know I know a couple of people did but um overall I felt like the scoring this afternoon not quite as good as the scoring this morning so um you know get out there early tomorrow and try to post a score and get myself up the leaderboard and give myself a chance for Sunday according to the stats you only hold 39 feet of putts that's two feet per hole Rory so they weren't going in were they were they poor strokes misreads or just one of those days miss misreads um they're so they're very they're they're really tricky um there's a lot of green a lot of green going different ways a lot of double breakers uh felt like I was hitting pretty pretty good putts burned a lot of edges so just have to keep trying to you know make you know committed strokes and make good reads and you know you came from 10 behind at halfway last year you're eight behind this time so there's good news there does it feel like your game if the putt started to drop is in a place where you could make that sort of charge yeah I think so especially the way the golf course is is going you know obviously 11 unders leading uh you know you and Ferguson might get there everybody's the last but it's I'd say the winning score isn't going to be much above what what the leader is right now especially the way the course is going to play over the weekend especially the way this golf course has played over the weekend the last couple of years so um the greens will continue to get a little bit firmer um which will put such a premium on putting it on the fairway and and hitting a lot of greens so you know if I can focus on that over the weekend get a couple of putts to drop um you know I think I think I've still got a decent chance appreciate your chance as time as always thanks cheers Tim to watch another DP World Tour video click here and to subscribe click here