Shane Lowry and Nacho Elvira lead in Dubai but Rory McIlroy challenge falters

Shane Lowry and Nacho Elvira negotiated windy conditions to climb to the top of the leaderboard as overnight leader Rory McIlroy struggled during the second round at the Dubai Invitational.

Lowry is looking for his first DP World Tour title since winning the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, and he showed his quality with his irons and nerveless putting to overhaul playing partner McIlroy.

The 38-year-old started the day three shots behind, but climbed to the summit with five birdies and two bogeys in his 68 – the joint lowest round of the day along with Elvira.

Shane Lowry shoots opening rounds of 69 and 68 to co-lead the Dubai Invitiational heading into the weekend ✍️#DubaiInvitational pic.twitter.com/DJlp80fMLK

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 16, 2026

McIlroy could only muster two birdies and carded five bogeys as he signed for a three-over 74 to sit in a share of fifth at Dubai Creek Resort.

“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.

The world number two slid a difficult par putt by at the ninth, and he was joined by Thriston Lawrence, who had birdied the fourth and fifth, at four under.

Lowry, who bogeyed the