McIlroy Chasing Down Rozner in Thrilling Dubai Showdown

Rory McIlroy trails by one at the halfway stage of the DP World Tour Championship, after Antoine Rozner stormed to the top of the leaderboard with a stunning bogey-free 65 in Dubai. McIlroy, a two-time DP World Tour winner, kept himself firmly in the mix for the title and the season-ending DP World Tour Rankings crown with a solid 68 on Friday, but he has work to do if he is to overtake a fired-up Rozner.

Rozner's magnificent 65 gave him a one-shot lead on nine under par, and the Frenchman will look to push on from here as he seeks a maiden Rolex Series title. Rozner carded seven birdies on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, including four on the front nine, as he climbed to the top of the leaderboard.

McIlroy, meanwhile, made three birdies in the first six holes and looked poised to make a big move of his own, but he was unable to maintain the pace in the latter stages of the round, with just one birdie on the back nine. Still, McIlroy is well within striking distance and is feeling upbeat about his chances.

'I was good off the tee and my irons were pretty good too, but I just did not quite get the breaks that I would have liked,' McIlroy said. 'But that is the way it goes, and I am in a pretty good position after two days.

'The thing that has been very consistent has been my driving, and I think if I can keep driving the ball as well as I have been, that will give me a great chance to contend - not just here, but going into next year as well.'

McIlroy is also keeping a watchful eye on the Rankings, as he looks to catch leader Victor Perez with one week to spare. 'We will just have to see what the weather is like over the weekend and how everything pans out,' he added.