– Patrick Reed (-9) is the solid leader of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic once the tournament’s midpoint is reached. More than solid, it’s concrete. Today, it’s true, he has treated himself to an unusual tribute on the greens of holes 12 and 13, sinking putts of over ten metres to sign an early series (he had started on the 10th) of birdie-eagle that shot him up the leaderboard. It’s not the norm, but let’s not forget that before and after he missed at least five good birdie opportunities… In this mode, the Texan is simply unassailable. And yet…
– Well, there’s still a long way to go, and not even a powerhouse like Reed guarantees anything one hundred percent, and there are other hot spots on the leaderboard worth considering. Tyrrell Hatton (-5), for example, the defending champion, finished with an eagle on the 17th (sinking a delightful chip from over 30 metres on this short par 4) and a birdie on the 18th to mark his silhouette on the horizon. And then there’s Rory McIlroy (-2). Very far, but he’s there. And Rory’s case must be treated specially on the Majlis course, one of the main franchises of Roryland in the world…
– Let’s see. Three years ago (2023) Rory was seventh in this tournament after two rounds, just two shots off the lead. He won. Nothing surprising there. Two years ago (2024) he was twenty-fourth after two rounds, ten shots off the lead… He also won. A year ago (2025) he was thirty-third after the first 36 holes, nine shots off the lead… And this time he finished ‘only’ fourth, three shots behind the winner. Given what we’ve seen, which is also the most recent of the Northern Irishman’s performances on this course and at this event, the question arises: to what extent can we still consider this player a favourite for the final victory? Well, let everyone do their own math. Here’s a bold prediction: Rory will gallop tomorrow on his private estate in the Middle East and still leave himself a chance of victory, we’ll see how reasonable it is.
– When Rory finishes his round this Saturday alongside Ryan Fox (a great partner when it comes to hunting), the star match of Reed and Andy Sullivan will be on the 7th hole, and we’ll have to see how much the Northern Irishman (and the New Zealander, mind you, and the New Zealander) has already closed the gap…
– David Puig (-4) is not Rory McIlroy, but his candidacy offers us as many or more guarantees. It’s hard to imagine a Sunday at the Majlis course without a Spaniard in the mix, and something tells us that the man from La Garriga has a stunning round up his sleeve at the Emirates Golf Club. Today he already warned with a leading 68, despite the double bogey he signed on the 6th hole after a bad (and unfortunate) tee shot, and his Saturday match alongside Wenyi Ding (-4) also looks fantastic…
– No Italian has ever won at the Emirates, but Francesco Molinari (-7) held his ground today with a hard-fought round at par, and Andrea Pavan (-7) could also be a factor to consider over the weekend. Tomorrow they play together just behind another intriguing match, the one formed by Nicolai Hojgaard (-6) and, attention, attention, Jayden Schaper (-5)… It would be foolish not to give the young South African full credit. This guy fears nothing and no one.
