Rory McIlroy loses lead at Dubai Invitational after error-strewn second round as Shane Lowry shares lead

Rory McIlroy found water four times during an error-strewn second round at the Dubai Invitational as the world No 2 lost his lead with a three-over 74.

McIlroy bogeyed three of his final five holes - including back-to-back dropped shots at 17 and 18 - to stumble back into a tie for fifth, while his great mate and Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry surged up the leaderbord into a share of the lead.

Lowry and Spain's Nacho Elvira each gained six strokes on overnight leader McIlroy on day two, their three-under 68s seeing them into a tie for top spot at five under.

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Lowry and Elvira negotiated windy conditions at Dubai Creek to climb to the top, with Lowry eyeing his first DP World Tour title since winning the 2022 BMW PGA Championship.

The 38-year-old started the day three shots behind, but reached the summit after a fine round consisting of five birdies and two bogeys.

"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 Northern Irishman briefly extended his advantage to two when Rozner double-bogeyed the 13th, but he dropped a shot at the sixth to halve the deficit.

McIlroy slid a difficult par putt by at the ninth and he was soon 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 Irishman parred his way home to join Elvira, who birdied four of his last six holes to set the clubhouse target of five under.

Englishman Armitage is in a tie for third with David Puig at three under, while McIlroy joined Lawrence, Rozner and Angel Ayora one shot further back.

Watch the Dubai Invitational throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 7.30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more on NOW.

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