Everything you need to know from day two at the 2021 Race to Dubai finale.
There was a tie at the top, Collin stayed on track, the EDGA boys were in town and some of the shots had to be seen to be believed on day two of the 2021 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
Here is everything you need to know from Friday at the Rolex Series event at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Tight at the top
When you have a field this good, it only takes one mistake to turn the event on its head. Overnight leader Rory McIlroy had kept the lead or a share of it all day and led by one stood on the 18th tee. But when he put his third into the water and recorded a double bogey, he found himself behind John Catlin, Sam Horsfield and Shane Lowry. The leading trio were at ten under, one shot clear of McIlroy and Alexander Björk, with 19 players within five shots of the lead. We're in for quite a weekend.
Morikawa focusing on the task at hand
With history staring them in the face, a person could be forgiven for overthinking, but that will be no problem with Collin Morikawa. The Open Champion could become the first American ever to win the Race to Dubai on Sunday and a victory this week will assure that, so he is keeping the thought process simple. "I'm aware but I've got to focus on the weekend," he said. "I want to win this tournament. That's all I care about, winning this tournament and everything else will kind of settle itself. That's my focus. We've played a decent two days and we've got two more rounds to go." After back to back rounds of 68 he is eight under, three clear of his nearest challengers in the battle to Europe's Number One.
One round remaining of the 2021 EDGA European Tour
After four events over the UK Swing got our 16 EDGA stars down to eight, the EDGA Dubai Finale will crown a winner this week. Brendan Lawlor claimed two wins in Wales and Northern Ireland and he put himself in pole position to make it a hat-trick and win the big prize as he fired a two under 70 in round one at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The Irishman, who has Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome, a disability characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs, made six birdies and four bogeys to lead by two from England's Mike Browne and Canadian Kurtis Barkley. “I would have taken that score this morning, big time,” he said. “To shoot two under par, 70, on that course, I’m really delighted with it. I hit the ball well all day and holed a lot of nice putts. I made a few mistakes, but that score gives me a nice stepping stone going into tomorrow."
Shane Lowry's magic short game example number 41,305
Exactly what the headline says. The man is a magician.
This is not a repeat
Maximilian Kieffer did this early on day two at the first.
And just a little bit later, Morikawa did this. Do not adjust your sets.
Anything you can do
Catlin hit a stunning approach into the first.
Martin Kaymer got even closer.
Game appreciates game
Many professional sportspeople enjoy playing golf away from their own sports and this week we have golf fan and two time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The Australian revealed he plays as often as his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will allow and believes the quality of the professionals needs to be seen to be believed. "Being this close to Rory and being able to see what these guys do and how they recover shots, It's quite outstanding," he said. "As much as you can watch it from TV it's like MotoGP, you cannot grasp how difficult it is until you see it for yourself."
