Having been irked by a slow play warning during an up-and-down 71 on Thursday, McIlroy started well on Friday as he picked up two shots in his first four holes.
His patience was then tested, however, as he let birdie chances slip through his grasp during a run of eight successive pars.
However, the Northern Irishman birdied 13, 14, 17 and 18 to join Thorbjorn Olesen, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Daniel Hillier on seven under, with England’s Tyrrell Hatton a shot behind.
The 36-year-old could have moved closer to the lead had he converted a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-five 18th after a stunning approach.
“I got it going, and I hit some good shots coming in,” added McIlroy, who will play in next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth before the Ryder Cup in New York at the end of the month.
“I guess in the middle of the back nine, I felt like I should be a few shots better than I was and just sort of stayed patient, knuckled down, hit some good shots, and took advantage of it.”
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