The penalty and the score
A two-stroke penalty was applied to Rory McIlroy's opening round at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship on November 5. The DP World Tour's official round-one report records his score as 70, with an eight at the 12th hole after the penalty.
Francesco Laporta led after round one with a 62. These are Thursday's first-round results, rather than the final outcome of the tournament.
What the Tour actually said
The Tour's separate statement places the incident immediately before McIlroy's fourth stroke on the 12th, a second chip from the rough, and cites Rule 8.1b(4).
It explains that a player may let the grass support the club's weight when grounding it lightly in front of or behind the ball, even if the lie improves. Pressing the club into the ground is not permitted.
After reviewing the footage, McIlroy could not say whether he had pressed the club into the ground, according to the Tour. It says he was uncomfortable continuing without a penalty because of how the footage looked and chose to apply two strokes.
Which record to follow
Use the linked official statement for the ruling and the Tour's round-one report for the score. The explanation does not establish deliberate wrongdoing or turn a first-round score into a final placing.
