Rory McIlroy gets costly penalty as controversial video circulates in $2 million Race to Dubai

Rory McIlroy received a two-shot penalty after officials reviewed footage from the 12th hole in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship. The ruling turned his double-bogey into an eight, leaving him eight shots behind the leader and denting his bid for a record-tying eighth Race to Dubai title.

After a duffed chip, McIlroy’s ball rolled into a divot and video showed him placing his club on the grass behind it. Tour rules allow a player to ground a club lightly but prohibit pressing it into the ground; McIlroy said he was unsure whether he had pressed down and accepted the penalty. He finished on 70, level with Eugenio Chacarra, while Francesco Laporta led on 62 and Patrick Reed shot 74. The season-long Race to Dubai winner receives a $2 million bonus.