“I got off to a great start and was feeling really good,” McIlroy said after his round. “But then I just made a couple of loose swings, and it cost me a couple of shots. It’s disappointing, but I’m still in a good position heading into the weekend.”
Rozner, who is seeking his second European Tour title, was pleased with his performance on Friday, saying, “I played really solid today and made some putts when it mattered. It’s great to be leading such a prestigious event, but there’s still a lot of golf to be played.”
The Frenchman will be looking to hold off the likes of McIlroy, Hatton, and Niemann over the weekend to secure victory in Dubai.
The DP World Tour Championship is the final event of the European Tour season, with the Race to Dubai title up for grabs. McIlroy will be hoping to close out the season with a win to add to his impressive resume.
Lowry birdied the second and holed from 15 feet at the fourth to briefly join the lead, while Hojgaard mixed three birdies with a sole bogey through 11 holes, with Waring slipping further back after a bogey at the 13th.
Matt Fitzpatrick sits alongside Hatton on seven under after a four-under 68, with Tommy Fleetwood two off the pace after a 70 and Robert MacIntyre one further back following a level-par 72.
Defending champion Collin Morikawa posted a second-round 71 to make the cut on level par, while Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were among the high-profile names to miss the weekend.
The DP World Tour Championship sees the top 50 players on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai standings compete, with the final event of the season offering double the usual prize money.