Tommy Fleetwood is hoping his experience will stand him in good stead over the weekend as he looks to be crowned Europe's Number One for the second year in a row at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
The Englishman needs a second Rolex Series victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates to have a chance of keeping his crown, with Race to Dubai leader Francesco Molinari finishing worse than a tie for fifth with one other.
Molinari was a shot ahead of his great friend and rival after day one but while Fleetwood fired a 67 on Friday to sit just three shots off the lead, the Italian was eight back after a 73.
There is still a long way to go if Fleetwood is to get past leader Matt Wallace and a host of elite players at the top end of the leaderboard, but the 27 year old feels he is well equipped to deal with the task.
“I'm a much more mature person and I've had different experiences this year than I've had last year,” he said.
“It's still a very difficult task. I've only won once this year, it's not like I'm a prolific winner this year. I've had chances and missed them.
“So I'm still trying to knock on that door and win a tournament, the same as everybody is. There's so many different things going on but the situation is pretty black and white, just keep going and just put everything into it for another two days.
“We've got two rounds of golf left of all the rounds of golf that have been played by all the players on Tour and you're still in with a chance to win the Race to Dubai. It's pretty cool and you'll always take it.
“Every shot seems very important, it's just a completely different feeling to any other week of the year. They are experiences that you have to have and that you want. Every shot just a little bit more heightened, all your senses are a little bit heightened and every shot means that little bit more because it all comes down to this.”
The situation is pretty black and white, just keep going and just put everything into it for another two days - Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood stayed bogey-free for the week as he holed a long birdie putt on the first and then produced some brilliant iron play to make further gains on the eighth, tenth, 11th and 15th.
“It was a completely different day ball-striking-wise,” he said. “Yesterday I couldn't have got any more out of that round of golf and it felt amazing to just get off and I felt like I kind of stole a couple of shots.
“Today, in a strange kind of way, you can easily look back at shots that I could have done better but I did so many good things.
“It's the same on a scoreable course, you still have to hit the golf shots and you still have to execute everything, it's not that easy. I will very gladly take that today.”
