Shane Lowry endures rollercoaster finish but stays in the hunt at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Europe’s Ryder Cup hero turned in a pedestrian one-under at Yas Links to trail playing partner Tommy Fleetwood – one of five overnight leaders alongside the Offaly man – by three strokes.

But after following a birdie at the 10th with an eagle three off a mishit second at the 10th to close the gap before making another birdie at the short 13th to tie for the lead, he slipped up over the course of a rollercoaster final five holes.

A double bogey six at the 14th, where he drove into the water, was a blow.

But after bouncing back brilliantly with birdies at the next two holes, the 2019 champion failed to get up and down for par at the 205-yard 17th, then made bogey at the par-five 18th after driving into sand and short-siding himself with his third.

Rory McIlroy reacts at the 13th hole during the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship

A three-under 69 wasn’t a disaster, but it left him in a four-way tie for sixth on 11 under, three shots behind Aaron Rai, who made an albatross two at the second en route to a 64, and FedEx Cup champion Fleetwood.

Fleetwood dropped just one stroke in his 66 as he joined Rai in taking a one-stroke lead over Andy Sullivan (67), Nicolai Hojgaard (67) and Richard Sterne (68) on 14 under.

As for Rory McIlroy, the Holywood star matched his nearest Race to Dubai rival Marco Penge by carding a four-under 68.

Penge was joint 17th on nine under with McIlroy lurking just six shots off the lead, a shot further back, in joint 20th.

McIlroy is seeking his seventh season-long title, which would leave him one shy of Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight seasons as European number one if he gets over the line after next week’s DP World Tour Championship.

“It’s been great,” Penge said of two days playing alongside the Masters champion.

“Obviously, it’s tough when you’re both trying to beat each other. So I didn’t want to get in the way too much or ask too many questions.

“But he definitely gave me a lot of time, and it was nice to walk the fairways with him and hopefully spend some more time with him in the future and learn a couple of tricks.”

Tom McKibbin, meanwhile, bounced back nicely from his first round 75 by carding a bogey-free 69 to move up to 66th in the 72-man field on level par.