Rory McIlroy’s Penalty Defended by Race to Dubai Leader Chacarra

Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra has defended Rory McIlroy over the two-shot penalty that turned his opening round at the Abu Dhabi Championship into a controversy.

McIlroy was penalized under Rule 8.1b(4) for improving the conditions of his stroke on the par-four 12th at Yas Links.

The Masters champion pressed his club on grass behind his ball before his fourth shot.

His initial chip had rolled back down the hill and into a divot.

Video footage was deemed inconclusive by the rules committee.

McIlroy discussed the incident with tournament officials after the round.

He was initially unaware of any infringement but accepted the penalty.

The penalty turned a double-bogey six into a quadruple-bogey eight.

Chacarra played alongside McIlroy and Patrick Reed in the high-stakes opening round.

"I don't think he improves his lie," Chacarra told Sky Sports.

"Obviously, the referee and him thought different."

"In the video, it doesn't look great, but we've been watching Rory for a long time — he's a class man and never tries to improve his lies or do anything."

Chacarra offered a nuanced view of what the footage showed.

"Obviously with this grass in the middle, it's a fluffy grass, so as soon as you put the weight of the club, the grass is going to come down."

"How is he supposed to hit that shot?" he asked.

"I just need to learn. I think it's 50/50."

Chacarra said he told McIlroy he was willing to fight the ruling.

"I told him I was happy to fight for it, because I didn't think he improved it."

"But obviously, the media and everything, he thought it didn't look very good."

"To be fair, in the video, it doesn't look great, but I don't think he improved it at all."

McIlroy himself addressed the incident after the round.

"Obviously there's no intent — I play by the rules," McIlroy said.

"I try to do everything that I can to never end up in these positions."

The incident was the only blemish on McIlroy's card.

He posted six birdies to finish with a 70 after the penalty was applied.

Francesco Laporta led after the first round, eight strokes ahead of McIlroy.

Chacarra also shot a 70, despite his own equipment crisis.

His driver cracked during Wednesday's pro-am at Yas Links.

The 26-year-old was forced to use a replacement driver for the opening round.

The unfamiliar club caused him to miss every fairway on the front nine.

"I got a bit unlucky that my driver cracked yesterday in the Pro-Am on the 6th hole, and I can't really find a fairway," Chacarra told Sky Sports' Tim Barter.

"It's tough out here if you're from the rough. The greens are pretty firm if you attack from the rough."

Chacarra turned things around on the back nine with four of his six birdies coming home.

"It was a big fight, you know. I turned on 1-over; I finished 2-under," Chacarra said.