DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Patrick Reed moved into the lead and Dustin Johnson missed the reduce on a blended day for high-profile LIV golfers on the European tour’s Dubai Desert Traditional on Friday.
Languishing in between was four-time champion Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, the event’s headline gamers who will want a giant weekend to problem for the title this 12 months.
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Reed, the previous Masters champion, stored his card clear and shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds at Emirates Golf Membership, the place he has positioned second and tenth in his two different appearances within the occasion.
Reed, who was at 9-under 135 for the week, made 4 birdies and a 40-footer for eagle on the par-5 thirteenth.
Andy Sullivan completed birdie-eagle to shoot 65 – the bottom spherical of the day – and was alone in second place.
Johnson, the previous No. 1, was the most important identify to overlook the reduce after a second straight 74. The American is turning into an afterthought in golf after shifting to the breakaway LIV circuit in 2022, the identical 12 months as Reed, and has slid to No. 639 on the planet rating.
Whereas No. 3-ranked Fleetwood solely simply made the reduce after struggling to a 72 to be 10 photographs off the lead, enjoying companion and second-ranked McIlroy birdied the par-5 18th to shoot 69 and restore a few of the injury from a 72 within the first spherical.
Nonetheless, McIlroy has seven photographs to make up on Reed, with whom he has had a number of duels down the years – not least in a loud singles match on the Ryder Cup in 2016 and within the last spherical of the Dubai Desert Traditional in 2023.
„It was an enchancment on yesterday and at the least gave myself half an opportunity going into the weekend,“ mentioned McIlroy, a day starter who felt situations obtained trickier because the day wore on.
Higher positioned was Tyrrell Hatton, the defending champion who shot 69 and was in sixth place, 4 strokes off the lead.
Hatton, one other LIV golfer, chipped in for eagle on the quick par-4 No. 17 for his spotlight of the day.
