Wind Punishes Stars at Dubai Invitational as Lowry, Elvira Take Lead

McIlroy and Fleetwood stumble in brutal conditions while Irish and Spanish veterans show composure to share the 36-hole lead.

DUBAI — Gales and a sudden chill transformed the Dubai Invitational into a battle of attrition on Friday, with world No. 2 Rory McIlroy and defending champion Tommy Fleetwood among the high-profile casualties as Shane Lowry and Nacho Elvira emerged with a share of the lead.

After a commanding start, McIlroy’s challenge unraveled spectacularly amid winds gusting up to 39 km/h at Dubai Creek Resort. The four-time major champion found water four times on his way to a three-over-par 74, tumbling down the leaderboard on a day when only nine players in the 60-man field broke par.

“It was hard. It was tricky,” said Lowry, who carded a steady three-under 68 to move to five-under-par 137 overall. “You know, like that putt on the last hole, you don’t hole a lot of putts like that, and I did well. I did a good job.”

The Irishman’s round of five birdies and two bogeys stood in stark contrast to McIlroy’s struggles and the woes of Fleetwood, who plummeted to a seven-over 78 with five bogeys and a double bogey.

Spaniard Nacho Elvira joined Lowry at the top after a brilliant finish, reeling off four birdies in his final six holes for a 68. He credited recent driving improvements for his surge.

“I feel like off the tee I hit it really well,” Elvira said. “That’s something I have struggled with in the past, and we made a couple of changes, and I think it’s paying off.”

The difficult conditions were reflected in the scoring. The 19-under winning total from the 2024 event seemed a distant prospect as the field averaged over par for the round.

Despite the stern test, there was a moment of brilliance. American Ryggs Johnston recorded the shot of the day, acing the 218-yard eighth hole with a six-iron for a hole-in-one.

The third round of the no-cut event begins Saturday morning, with Lowry and Elvira holding a two-stroke advantage over England’s Marcus Armitage and Spain’s David Puig.