Omega Dubai Desert Classic report and halfway scores

Jaidee leads by one from Westwood,

Jimenez and Dodd as six Scots fail

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Asian No 1 Thongchai Jaidee carded a bogey-free second round of six under par 66 to claim a one-shot halfway lead at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic today.
World No 4 Lee Westwood blazed a flawless seven under par 65 in his best ever showing in 50 rounds at Emirates Golf Club to head the chasing pack at seven under alongside early pacesetters Stephen Dodd and Miguel Angel Jiménez.
Evergreen Spaniard Jiménez blazed seven birdies in a five under par 67, while Wales’ Dodd remained in contention with a bogey-free 69.
World No 59 Thongchai, who posted two European Tour victories last season, is reaping the benefits of long hours spent on the putting green to fine tune the weaker aspect of his game.
“I played very consistent, it was a solid day,” said the 40 year old former paratrooper.
“I hit 13 greens in regulation, missed just five fairways. I am very confident because my putting is getting better. That’s why my game is getting better.”
Defending champion Rory McIlroy (70), Edoardo Molinari (70), Alvaro Quiros (69), Australia’s Marcus Fraser (68) and Charl Schwartzel (70) are all well-placed at six under, with a two shot gap behind them to Paul Casey (71), Graeme McDowell (68) and Jeev Milkha Singh (72).
Westwood is still not fully satisfied with his new driver after cracking the face of his previous club in Qatar, but continued his love affair with Dubai following his superb Dubai World Championship success at the end of last year.
After earning a share of the lead with a superb up and down from the rough after driving the reachable par-4, the 36 year old Englishman missed a 10ft birdie chance at the last after a poor tee shot forced him to lay-up.
Westwood was briefly tempted to try for the green over the lake, but after a warning from caddie Billy Foster and after watching player partner Henrik Stenson find the water, he opted to play safe.
“I think we have had the hardest conditions over the first couple of days in the morning and then the afternoon. But you try and make the best of whatever is thrown at you,” said Westwood, who opened with a level par 72.
“And if you come out on the right end of that, obviously it gives you a massive confidence boost and it’s a big pat on the back.
“It’s the goal all the time to get into contention and keep testing yourself and getting accustomed to being under pressure.”
McIlroy looked in ominous form as the World No 9 briefly established a three-shot lead at eight under par in the morning following a run of four consecutive birdies around the turn.
But the 20-year-old, who claimed his first and only career title with a wire-to-wire victory 12 months ago in this tournament, found water at the last to run up a double bogey after leaving a seven iron approach just short to card a two under par 70.
“I am still happy where I am heading into the weekend. Apart from the mistake at the last it was another really good day’s work. I putted really solidly, made a few birdies around the turn and also could have made a few more,” said McIlroy.
“There is a little bit of a sour taste in the mouth after the last hole. I had not made a mistake all day and to do it at the last was disappointing, but if I make two birdies in the first two holes tomorrow all is forgotten.”
Italy's teenager British amateur champion Matteo Manassero carded a 72 for 141 to comfortably beat the cut (146 or better) at a second successive European Tour event with eight-time Major winner Tom Watson two shots further back after a two under par 70.
Only Ross Bain (143), Stephen Gallacher (144) and David Drysdale (146) of the Scots entrants will be competing over the weekend.
South African Open champion Richie Ramsay (76 for 147) missed the cut for a second time on his return after the Festive break. Ryder Cup skipper Colin Montgomerie also bowed out with rounds of 71 and 76.
Marc Warren (77-71) and Paul Lawrie (73-75) took two shots to many on the 148 mark.
Alastair Forsyth's disappointing returned continued with a 150 (77-73) total.
Gary Orr slipped from a first-day 73 to a 79 for 152.
SCOREBOARD
Emirates GC, Dubai
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
136 Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 70 66.
137 Stephen Dodd 68 69, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70 67, Lee Westwood 72 65
138 Rory McIlroy 68 70, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 68 70, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 70 68, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 68 70, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 69 69
140 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68 72, Graeme McDowell 72 68, Paul Casey 69 71
141 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 71, Richard Bland 74 67, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 70 71, Gareth Maybin 73 68, Matteo Manassero (Ita) (am) 69 72, Marcel Siem (Ger) 71 70, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 70, Darren Clarke 71 70
142 Peter Hanson (Swe) 73 69, James Kingston (Rsa) 75 67, Anders Hansen (Den) 69 73, Alexander Noren (Swe) 68 74, Ross Fisher 70 72
143 Hennie Otto (Rsa) 76 67, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 75 68, Soren Hansen (Den) 71 72, Tom Watson (USA) 73 70, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 71 72, John Bickerton 73 70, David Lynn 72 71, Johan Edfors (Swe) 72 71, Ross Bain 72 71, Richard Green (Aus) 69 74, Bradley Dredge 72 71
144 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 74 70, Robert Rock 70 74, Stephen Gallacher 73 71, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71 73, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 74 70, David Horsey 71 73, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 73 71, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 74 70, Pablo Martin (Spa) 71 73, Paul Broadhurst 72 72
145 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 71 74, Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 74 71, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 74 71, Tano Goya (Arg) 73 72, Simon Dyson 71 74, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 76 69
146 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 71 75, Chris Wood 72 74, Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 72 74, Damien McGrane 73 73, Erik Compton (USA) 73 73, Oliver Wilson 72 74, Paul Waring 74 72, Nick Dougherty 72 74, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 72, Kenneth Ferrie 74 72, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 77 69, Brett Rumford (Aus) 73 73, David Drysdale 72 74, Mark Foster 74 72, Thomas Levet (Fra) 73 73
MISSED THE CUT
147 Richie Ramsay 71 76, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 75 72, Colin Montgomerie 71 76, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 74 73, Peter Lawrie 77 70, Shaun Micheel (USA) 77 70, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 80 67, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 74 73, Michael Hoey 75 72, Ross McGowan 75 72
148 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 74 74, Joost Luiten (Ned) 75 73, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 72 76, Mark Brown (Nzl) 78 70, Oliver Fisher 75 73, Anthony Wall 73 75, Marc Warren 77 71, Paul Lawrie 73 75, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 75 73, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 76 72, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 75 73
149 David Howell 76 73, Phillip Price 75 74, Seve Benson 74 75, Anthony Kang (USA) 77 72, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 76 73, Scott Hend (Aus) 77 72, Shane Lowry 75 74, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 77 72, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 76 73
150 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 78 72, Alastair Forsyth 77 73, Jamie Donaldson 80 70, Ariel Canete (Arg) 73 77, Sam Little 76 74, Graeme Storm 72 78
151 Danny Lee (Nzl) 74 77, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 74 77, Scott Strange (Aus) 77 74, Todd Hamilton (USA) 74 77
152 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 75 77, Steve Webster 76 76, Gary Orr 73 79, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 76 76, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 75 77, Mark O'Meara (USA) 77 75, Anirban Lahiri (Ind) 78 74, Barry Lane 74 78, Gregory Havret (Fra) 75 77
153 Richard Finch 80 73, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 74 79, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 74 79, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 76 77, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 76 77
154 Arjun Atwal (Ind) 77 77, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 75 79, Danny Willett 79 75
155 Michael Campbell (Nzl) 81 74
157 Gary Lockerbie 80 77, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 77 80
158 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 80 78, David Dixon 80 78
161 Wayne Westner (Rsa) 74 87
162 Miki Mirza (UAE) 81 81
163 Stephen Deane 82 81