Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods miss cut in Abu Dhabi

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods both missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship as Justin Rose pulled clear of the pack at the top of the leaderboard.

World number one McIlroy shot a second straight three-over 75 on the National Course at Abu Dhabi  Golf Club, while Woods was hit with a two-stroke penalty to miss out by one shot.

The American thought he had dropped just a single shot after an embedded ball incident on the fifth hole but was told on the 11th the matter was being investigated.

Woods, who was third here last year, would have finished inside the cut mark on one-over, but his bogey five was changed to a triple-bogey seven. It marks his first missed cut in 21 prior European Tour starts.

At the time of the incident, Woods had asked Martin Kaymer to examine the lie among the ice plants, who agreed the ball was embedded.

Woods took a drop and continued but it only later emerged that the embedded ball rule should not have applied in that circumstance. He was subsequently given a two-stroke penalty for the rules infringement.

Explaining the decision, European Tour senior referee Andy McFee said: "You do not get a relief for a ball which is embedded in sand, and that's just a bad lie and you have to play it."

"It's tough. I didn't get off to a very good start and I fought hard," said Woods afterwards.

"I battled back and got it to where I thought I could play the weekend, and thought I might have a chance, just post two low rounds. But I won't be able to do that."

For McIlroy, who is using new Nike golf clubs for the first time, it was not the start he had been hoping for.

"I'm very disappointed. You never want to get off to a poor start, but I've got to realise it's only the start of the season," said the 23-year-old, who was runner-up here in 2012.

The Northern Irishman switched putters for a second time but continued to struggle on the greens.

"I just felt the greens I have been practising on were much faster. It was just a weight issue," he explained.

Meanwhile, at the top of the leaderboard Justin Rose shot a three-under-par 69 to add to his opening 67 and move to eight-under.

The 32-year-old Englishman was one ahead of Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Dane Thorbjorn Olesen.

PGA Tour

Over in California, James Hahn and Roberto Castro both shot five-under second round 67s to grab a share of the halfway lead of the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation.

The pair lead Darron Stiles, Scott Stallings and Richard H Lee by one after they all shot 65s on the Palmer Course in La Quinta.

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