McIlroy, the top-ranked golfer, has already won the money titles on the European and PGA tours. He was one stroke in front at 11-under 133 with Donald (68) and 189th-ranked Warren (67).
Sergio Garcia, playing for the first time since laser eye surgery, matched the course record with a 64 to leave him four shots behind.
McIlroy’s round could have been even better, but he missed several makeable putts on the front nine and an eagle putt roll past the hole at No. 14.
“I continued driving the ball well today and gave myself plenty of opportunities,” McIlroy said. “Missed a couple of short ones on the front nine for birdies. But apart from that, it was a very solid round of golf.”
Garcia started with four birdies on his first five holes and then had a string of birdies at the turn before holing a long putt for eagle on No. 14.
But he shot into the water on No. 16 for a triple-bogey before recovering to finish with a birdie and eagle.
“Coming back from a long break, so trying to get some good vibrations going and I managed to finish better than that,” Garcia said.
Donald joined McIlroy and Warren at 11 under with a short birdie putt on the 18th. Warren had a chance take the outright lead, but was short on his 12-foot putt on the 18th.
“Obviously, haven’t dropped a shot in 36 holes, so feel good about that,” said Donald, who finished with four birdies in a bogey-free round. “I had some opportunities, 10-foot, 15-footers on a few holes that I just misread. But that was a solid round of golf.”
DUBAI WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES
Friday
At Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Purse: $8 million
Yardage: 7,675; Par: 72
Second Round
Luke Donald, England 65-68—133
Rory McIlory, Northern Ireland 66-67—133
Marc Warren, Scotland 66-67—133
Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa 67-67—134
Branden Grace, South Africa 69-65—134
Richie, Ramsay, Scotland 67-68—135
Charl Schwartzel, South Africa 68-67—135
Fredrik Andersson Hed, Sweden 67-69—136
Henrik Stenson, Sweden 68-68—136
Danny Willett, England 71-65—136
Marcus Fraser, Australia 69-67—136
Raphael Jacquelin, France 69-67—136
Nicolas Colsaerts, Belgium 68-68—136
Justin Rose, England 68-68—136
Peter Hanson, Sweden 69-67—136
Jamie Donaldson, Wales 68-68—136
Scott Jamieson, Scotland 68-69—137
Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand 68-69—137
Martin Kaymer, Germany 67-70—137
Sergio Garcia, Spain 73-64—137
Joost Luiten, Netherlands 69-68—137
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Spain 66-72—138
Padraig Harrington, Ireland 67-71—138
Stephen Gallacher, Scotland 68-70—138
Marcel Siem, Germany 73-65—138
George Coetzee, South Africa 71-67—138
Romain Wattel, France 70-68—138
Simon Dyson, England 69-69—138
Anders Hansen, Denmark 69-70—139
Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark 68-71—139
Peter Lawrie, Ireland 68-72—140
Chris Wood, England 71-69—140
Victor Dubuisson, France 71-79—140
Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Spain 70-70—140
Lee Westwood, England 67-74—141
Matteo Manassero, Italy 73-68—141
Soren Kjeldsen, Denmark 72-69—141
Michael Hoey, Northern Ireland 70-71—141
Ian Poulter, England 72-70—142
Alejandro Canizares, Spain 74-68—142
Bernd Wiesberger, Austria 72-70—142
Robert Rock England 72-70—142
Jbe Kruger, South Africa 72-70—142
Miguel Angle Jimenez, Spain 71-71—142
Pablo Larrazabal, Spain 70-72—142
Francesco Molinari, Italy 72-71—143
Paul Lawrie, Scotland 71-72—143
Alexander Noren, Sweden 70-73—143
Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland 72-73—145
Jeev Milkha Singh, India 71-74—145
David Drysdale, Scotland 71-74—145
Lee Slattery, England 74-72—146
Richard Sterne, South Africa 74-74—148
Richard Finch, England 76-74—150
David Lynn, England 73-77—150








