– Only nine players have beaten the course on the second day of the Dubai Invitational. The weather forecast was spot on, with gusty winds rarely dropping below thirty kilometres per hour causing havoc. Of those nine ‘chosen ones’, only three handed in cards under 70 strokes on this par 71 course at the Dubai Creek Resort, and two of them, both with scores of 68 strokes, three under for the day, are the current co-leaders of the tournament, Nacho Elvira (-5) and Shane Lowry (-5).
The Irishman is an accomplished wind player, although today, in Dubai, many who are also skilled in such conditions have faltered. The Spaniard, on the other hand, finished on the 9th hole with a delicate touch, impressing, after hitting a superb shot from about 150 metres to the flag and almost securing the final birdie that took him to the top of the leaderboard. It’s just as well that this has probably been the least he has worked during the Christmas pre-season since turning professional… Golf and its unfathomable quirks. The Cantabrian has waited patiently and with good humour, finishing the round in style, defying the wind, with a four-under-par score in the final third of his round that, given the circumstances, seemed impossible. He invented it by playing textbook golf and sinking excellent putts from medium and long distances in that stretch.
– Rory McIlroy (-2) had a tougher time and ended up with 74 strokes today. And that’s despite performing magic on the greens, literally, because otherwise, the setback could have been significant. The Northern Irishman found water four times during the round and managed to avoid the almost inevitable double bogey on each occasion. On the 18th, to finish, he narrowly avoided getting wet for the fifth time, but found himself in a very tricky position and added a final bogey to his tally. Given that he is only three strokes off the lead and it will be very difficult to see him struggle so much again, it’s almost unnecessary to clarify that he remains a clear favourite for the final victory…
– As are David Puig (-3) and Ángel Ayora (-2), still perfectly positioned within the top ten after skilfully and talentfully salvaging a day that could easily have ended in disaster. Both emerged on a very challenging day of play with identical scores, a more than respectable 72, especially considering that the average score today, thanks to Eolo, was an impressive 73.71, nearly three strokes over par.
The situation is even more noteworthy and valuable, as both have managed to overcome a critical situation. Ayora signed a triple bogey on the 2nd hole, the second of his round, and Puig, starting on the 10th, was able to turn around a round in which he had recorded two triple bogeys (holes 14 and 17)… Let’s acknowledge in both cases that staying afloat after such setbacks and in such delicate and treacherous playing conditions is a small golfing feat.
– Only fourteen players remain with an aggregate score under par after 36 holes, and among them is not the illustrious defending champion, Tommy Fleetwood (+5), who today couldn’t find a way, remarkably, to make even a single birdie, handing in a 78 that has most likely taken him out of the winning equation. The rest of the Spaniards in the event also suffered the rigours of the wind today: Eugenio Chacarra (+2, today a round of 75), who was saving the day but finished with a disheartening triple bogey on the last hole, Ángel Hidalgo (+7, today a round of 77), Pablo Larrazábal (+8, today a round of 81) and Alejandro del Rey (+10, today a round of 76).
– Tomorrow, Saturday, more of the same, as the forecast warns of a day with similar wind intensity (perhaps slightly less) throughout the hours of play. Another round where par could be a great result. And where, of course, someone enlightened enough to manage the situation could regain a lot of lost ground… Or leave the victory more than assured.
