McIlroy shares lead with Hatton at season-ending World Tour Championship on European tour

Rory McIlroy recovered from a back-nine wobble to birdie No. 18 and share the 36-hole lead at the season-ending World Tour Championship on Friday, leaving him well-placed to win a record-tying eighth Race to Dubai golf title.McIlroy birdied four of his first 10 holes in the second round and was blemish-free until making three bogeys in a six-hole stretch from No. 12 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, which played tough because of a stiff breeze, thick rough and dry, slippery greens.The world No. 2 regained his composure to reach the green in two at the par-5 last hole and roll in a 6-foot birdie putt for a 2-under 70, joining Tyrrell Hatton (69) on 5-under par for the week.“Once you do start putting yourself out of position on this golf course, this set-up, these conditions, it starts to get very, very difficult,” said McIlroy, who acknowledged he began to get frustrated with the Earth course that, in his view, is playing as hard as ever after 17 trips to the venue.“I feel like I salvaged the d