DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC REPORT AND SCORES

YOUNG AMERICAN BROOKS KOEPKA 

ON RORY McILROY'S TAIL
 REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Rory McIlroy maintained his lead on the second day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, but Brooks Koepka is hot on his heels after the young American posted a joint best-of-the-day 65.

The Northern Irishman, who had an upset stomach from a night-before meal that did not agree with him, was not at his fluent best at Emirates Golf Club, but showed all his battling qualities to eke out a round of 70 for an 11 under par aggregate halfway total of 133. 

That was good enough for a one-shot lead over Koepka, who produced a flawless seven under par display which moved the former Challenge Tour player up to second place on ten under 134.

McIlroy, who won his debut European Tour event at the 2009 Omega Dubai Desert Classic, opened with a bogey but rallied with three birdies to reach the turn in 33. 

After a further birdie at the tenth, the World Number Seven looked like opening up a commanding advantage over the field, but dropped shots at the 13th and 16th holes have given hope to the chasing pack.

McIlroy said: “Even though I didn’t play as well as I would’ve liked today, I’m still leading the golf tournament. I’ve been in this position before and I’ve gone on to win, so I know what it takes. 

"I’ve led from the front quite well in tournaments that I have won, and I feel like I’m still playing well. So I’m expecting to out there and shoot two good scores over the weekend, and hopefully I can lift the trophy.” 

Koepka, who won three times on the Challenge Tour in his breakthrough season last year, has endured a slow start to the current campaign, but showed his class with seven birdies to set up the prospect of an intriguing battle with McIlroy over the weekend.

He said: “I’ve never played with Rory, so it’s going to be fun. I know him a little bit from seeing him around, so hopefully I’ll be able to play as well as I did today. 

“I putted really well today. Yesterday I didn’t putt very well, but today my putter came through for me. I’ve striking the ball really well, and I also chipped well today. So everything’s going well, I can't complain.”

Koepka’s round of 65 was matched by England’s Danny Willett, who carded eight birdies to climb into a share of third place on eight under par alongside Ireland’s Damien McGrane and Frenchman Julien Quesne (both 70).

World Number One Tiger Woods posted a one over par 73 to fall back to a share of 44th spot on three under.

SCOTSWATCH: Defending champion Stephen Gallacher, who played the first two rounds in the company of McIlroy and Woods, had four bogeys in the last 10 holes be in joint sixth place after a 71 for 137 - only four strokes off the pace.

Chris Doak and Paul Lawrie are joint 20th on the 139 mark. They reversed their opening-day scores - Doak scoring 71-68, Lawrie 71-68.
Lawrie birdied three par-5 holes plus the par-4 first but he dropped shots at the second, seventh and 12th.
Writing on his own website, Paul said: "Bit of a struggle today as my ball striking was very poor with the irons which is odd as have been hitting them great but today it was awful.
"Hit so many fat and right but thankfully I putted nicely to keep it going. It was a bit of a grind today which sometimes you've just got to do.
"I still had two three-putts but overall I rolled the ball very well. There was a bit more wind in the afternoon which made it slightly more tricky."
 Doak bogeyed the first hole and was then five under par for the remainder of his round.

Senior citizen Colin Montgomerie is motoring along nicely on 140 after a pair of solid 70s.
The cut fell at 142 and Scott Jamieson's excellent 67 got him round on the limit mark.
On the wrong side of the cut-off mark were Peter Whiteford and David Drysdale. Whiteford made a heroic effort to fight back from a first-round 76 but a 67 was just one too many. He made life difficult for himself with a double bogey 7 at the 10th.
Drysdale had a 73 for 143. He also had a card-ruining 7 - a triple bogey at the 16th.
Craig Lee, a potential winner on the Tour a week or two ago, was among the non-qualifiers. He had a 72 for 147.
Jamie McLeary missed out with a 75 for 147 while Marc Warren was right out of tune with a 77 for 149.

 

 SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD

    Par 144 (2x72)

133 R McIlroy  (NIr) 63 70

134 B Koepka  (USA) 69 65

136 J Quesne  (Fra) 66 70, D Willett  (Eng) 71 65, D McGrane (Irl) 66 70

137 T Jaidee (Tha) 68 69; S Gallacher (Sco) 66 71; J Donaldson (Wal) 69 68; J Walters (RSA) 69 68; H Stenson (Swe) 70 67; R Rock (Eng) 67 70; E Molinari  (Ita) 65 72

138 F Molinari (Ita) 69 69; R Kakko  (Fin) 69 69; E Grillo (Arg) 71 67; S Dyson  (Eng) 69 69; M Carlsson  (Swe) 69 69; M Madsen  (Den) 71 67; S Hansen (Den) 67 71

139 G Bourdy (Fra) 71 68; R Sterne  (RSA) 66 73; J Van Zyl (RSA) 71 68; T Olesen (Den) 71 68; J Luiten (Ned) 70 69; B Rumford (Aus) 69 70; C Doak (Sco) 71 68; S Kim (Kor) 70 69; S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 71; P Lawrie (Sco) 68 71; M Siem  (Ger) 72 67

140 M Baldwin (Eng) 66 74; R Karlsson (Swe) 73 67; T Lewis (Eng) 71 69; R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 71; P Waring  (Eng) 70 70; B Wiesberger  (Aut) 70 70; J Campillo (Esp) 68 72; K Broberg (Swe) 71 69; M Crespi  (Ita) 69 71; E De La Riva  (Esp) 70 70; A Wall (Eng) 74 66; R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 71 69; C Montgomerie  (Sco) 70 70

141 D Fichardt (RSA) 69 72; A Quiros  (Esp) 69 72; F Couples (USA) 70 71; M Ilonen  (Fin) 69 72; L Slattery (Eng) 70 71; R Wattel  (Fra) 68 73; A Cañizares  (Esp) 74 67; A Levy (Fra) 69 72; T Woods (USA) 68 73; M Kieffer (Ger) 71 70; S Webster (Eng) 71 70; S Hend (Aus) 69 72; H Otto (RSA) 68 73; S Noh (SKor) 69 72

142 J Lima  (Por) 71 71; C Del Moral (Esp) 70 72; S Benson (Eng) 72 70; S Kapur (Ind) 72 70; G Havret  (Fra) 70 72; D Van Der Walt (RSA) 72 70; F Zanotti (Par) 72 70; P Larrazábal (Esp) 74 68; S Jamieson  (Sco) 73 69; G Stal  (Fra) 74 68; T Björn (Den) 72 70; P Casey  (Eng) 70 72; M Hoey  (NIr) 70 72; C Wood  (Eng) 73 69 

MISSED THE CUT

143 R Green (Aus) 74 69; R Fisher (Eng) 71 72; P Whiteford (Sco) 76 67; P Uihlein  (USA) 75 68; E Pepperell (Eng) 71 72; D Drysdale (Sco) 70 73; S Lowry  (Irl) 70 73; G Mulroy (RSA) 73 70

144 J Carlsson (Swe) 73 71; E Els (RSA) 74 70; T Hatton (Eng) 73 71; N Fasth (Swe) 73 71; D Horsey (Eng) 69 75; M Foster (Eng) 72 72; M O'Meara (USA) 70 74; J Daly (USA) 70 74; B Grace  (RSA) 72 72; N Elvira  (Esp) 74 70; G Maybin (NIr) 71 73; A Sullivan (Eng) 74 70; J Singh (Ind) 75 69; P Hanson (Swe) 72 72; M Jiménez (Esp) 75 69

145 R Gonzalez (Arg) 72 73; C Lee (Sco) 73 72; D Howell (Eng) 73 72; F Calmels  (Fra) 75 70; T Fleetwood  (Eng) 69 76; M Nixon (Eng) 74 71; J Kruger (RSA) 73 72; J Olazábal (Esp) 74 71; J Ballesteros (am) (Esp) 74 71

146 J Jeong (SKor) 77 69; S Thornton (Irl) 75 71; R Santos  (Por) 72 74

147 J McLeary  (Sco) 72 75; S Dodd (Wal) 75 72; J Hansen  (Den) 74 73; D Huizing (Ned) 73 74;

148 M Manassero (Ita) 76 72; R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 74 74; A Otaegui  (Esp) 72 76; R Derksen (Ned) 74 74

149 R Bland (Eng) 76 73; L Corfield  (Eng) 75 74; P Lawrie (Irl) 76 73; A Pavan (Ita) 77 72; J Coceres (Arg) 76 73; B Lane (Eng) 79 70; M Warren (Sco) 72 77

150 G Storm  (Eng) 74 76

151 G Bhullar (Ind) 77 74

152 V Riu  (Fra) 75 77; M El Maouas (am) (Mar) 73 79

153 W Westner (RSA) 77 76

154 T Levet (Fra) 74 80; F Serghini  (Mar) 78 76;

155 J Parry (Eng) 75 80

** D McKenzie (Sco) 77 DQ, M Fraser (Aus) 77 WD, Z Scotland  (Eng) 71 DQ

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS