'Today's a new day': Rory McIlroy fights off rules controversy with 11-birdie rout

In Thursday’s opening round at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, Rory McIlroy found himself in a costly rules controversy . He could have let the ruling, which he disputed, get the better of him. But with the Race to Dubai title on the line, McIlroy went a different route. After he “made peace with” his unfortunate rules violation, McIlroy teed it up in Round 2 and went on a tear, firing a nine-under 63 to get within one shot of co-leaders Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton , two former LIV stars whose games seemed unaffected by LIV Golf’s downfall one…