Friday 30 January 2015 20:08, UK
Rory McIlroy turned on the style as he birdied the final three holes to snatch the outright lead at the halfway stage of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
The world No 1 backed up his excellent tee-to-green game with a solid performance on the greens, rolling in eight birdie putts and keeping a bogey off his card in a sublime 64.
McIlroy, who won his first professional title at the Emirates in 2009, was just pipped to the low round of the day by Morten Orum Madsen (63), but he had done enough to hit the top of the leaderboard ahead of Marc Warren on 14 under par.
The in-form Scot had set a testing early target in the clubhouse after mixing nine birdies with two bogeys in a 65, while Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell was a further stroke adrift alongside Seve Benson.
On another day of impressive scoring in perfect conditions, McIlroy opened with a par and then drove the green at the 351-yard par-four second and narrowly missed his eagle attempt.
He made a cast-iron birdie four at the next and rolled in another from 25 feet at the fifth before following four straight pars with further birdies at 10 and 11.
McIlroy’s touch on the greens deserted him over the next four holes, but he moved to 12 under with a good putt at 16 and then got up and down from the front of the 17th green for his seventh birdie of the round.
Pole position
He pulled his second to the par-five 18th into the lush greenside rough and pitched to 15 feet, but he again read the putt perfectly to ensure pole position heading into the weekend.
Warren started at the 10th and enjoyed a run of five birdies in six holes to close out a back-nine 32, and after offsetting a birdie at the third with his second bogey of the day at four, he birdied two of his last three holes to claim the outright lead.
The 33-year-old is now a remarkable 30 under par for his last five rounds, although he insisted he needs to be more accurate off the tee over the weekend if he is to contend for the title.
"It was very good from the fairways but scrappier than I would have wanted off the tees," Warren told Sky Sports 4. "In Abu Dhabi I drove the ball really well, I improved my iron play last week and I am giving myself lots of chances."
McDowell was a shot further back after adding a 65 to his opening 67, while Benson returned a second-straight 66 despite running up a double-bogey seven at the long 18th.
The Englishman had birdied four of his first five holes before coming to grief at 18, but he responded positively with four birdies in five holes from the second to give himself a much later tee time on Saturday.
McDowell also started at the 10th and cruised to the turn in three under before picking up five shots in six holes from the second, his only blemish coming at the tough sixth.
Fast start
"Starting the back nine gives you a good opportunity for a fast start," said the Ryder Cup star, who birdied both of the par fives early on the back nine.
"My last 27 holes have been pretty solid and it is nice to be in some sort of touch going into the weekend."
Danny Willett continued his encouraging start to the season and birdied seven of his first 12 holes to soar to 12 under, but he lost his rhythm down the stretch and blotted his card at the eighth before settling for a 66.
Overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger reached the halfway stage without a single blemish on his card, but he managed only three birdies in a second-round 69 that leaves the Austrian alongside Willett on 11 under.
Stephen Gallacher's bid to become only the sixth player in European Tour history to win the same event three years running is still very much alive as he birdied three of the last four holes to return a 67 that earned him a share of fifth, although he could have been much closer to McIlroy had he not scrapped his way to a double-bogey six at the 12th.
His Ryder Cup team-mate Lee Westwood also has not dropped a shot in 36 holes, and he added a solid 68 to his opening 65 to join the large group at 11 under which also includes South African Open champion Andy Sullivan, who handed in a five-birdie 68.
World No 2 Henrik Stenson heads into the weekend six shots behind McIlroy after a bizarre 66, making six birdies in a back-nine 31 and following with nine consecutive pars, while Martin Kaymer is alongside the Swede on eight under after an erratic 69.
