Lee Westwood holds the lead after the second round of the Dubai World Championship following a second round of 69 to add to his opening 66. His nine-under par total sees him maintain his two-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and the rest of the field in the race to be Europe’s number one.
McIlroy matched Westwood’s round to share second place with overnight leader, Australian Robert Allenby and four others including Camilo Villegas and Padraig Harrington. Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher – the only other players who could win the Race to Dubai sit on two-under and level-par respectively and the race now looks a straight match between Westwood and McIlroy.
McIlroy had started strongl and a front nine of only 31 saw him briefly take the lead before Westwood pegged him back. McIlroy’s front nine included an eagle on the 572-yarad seventh hole, as well as birdies at the first two and last holes of the nine. However two bogeys on the back nine – on the 14th and 15th holes – could prove costly, especially as he missed three-footers for par on each
Kaymer had managed to reach four-under par after his outward 34 but a poor chip on the 17th was followed by his finding water on the last for a pair of bogeys to finish off and his second successive 71.
Westwood is now a best priced 11/4 with the bookies to win the title over the Greg Norman-designed Earth Course, while McIlroy is 5/1.
