DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Patrick Reed jumped into the lead on the Dubai Desert Traditional on Friday, however a well-known foe is trying to chase him over the weekend.
Rory McIlroy will even be becoming a member of the battle.
“A couple of years in the past, I got here from 10 all the way down to win,” world No. 2 McIlroy stated defiantly. “I feel he is about seven years previous now.”
McIlroy will definitely want to enhance if he’s to reel within the former Masters champion, who saved his card clear and shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead after the second spherical at Emirates Golf Membership.
Reed, a member of LIV Golf who ceaselessly performs on the European Tour, had 4 birdies and a 40-foot eagle on the par-5 thirteenth. The American shot 9-under 135 this week.
McIlroy birdied the par-5 18th and shot a 69, repairing a number of the injury from his first-round 72.
Few individuals know the course higher than McIlroy, a file four-time champion. That features 2024, when he received regardless of being 11 strokes down heading into Friday’s 18th gap, and 2023, when he outplayed the lead in a private reminiscence in a final-round duel.
They’d a loud singles match on the 2016 Ryder Cup, which Reed received, however they definitely have historical past.
McIlroy, who’s tied for twentieth, stated, “If the situations are a little bit bit higher tomorrow morning and I can get off the low marks, I will be within the high spot on Sunday.”
Reid, who has completed second and tenth in his different two appearances on the Dubai Desert Traditional, stated he was joyful along with his recreation regardless of beginning with a spherical of 69 in more durable situations.
“The great factor is I felt like I used to be hitting the ball precisely the place I wanted to in the present day. I felt like I used to be making strong putts,” Reed stated.
Andy Sullivan made a birdie-eagle and shot a 65, his lowest spherical of the day, to take sole second place, one stroke behind Italian pair Andrea Pavan (68) and first-round chief Francesco Molinari (72).
Longtime former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson was the most important participant to overlook out regardless of scoring 74 factors for the second 12 months in a row.
The American has been forgotten within the golf world since transferring to the impartial LIV circuit in 2022, the identical 12 months as Reed, and has fallen to 639th on this planet rankings.
World No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood, presently residing in Dubai, can be a headliner, however he solely certified after a troublesome 72, leaving him 10 strokes behind the chief.
In a greater place was defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, who shot a 69 to complete sixth, 4 strokes behind the chief.
One other LIV golfer, Hatton, was the spotlight of the day when he chipped in for eagle on the quick par-4 seventeenth.
