SHANE LOWRY’S CONSISTENTLY excellent early-season form continued apace in Dubai this morning, as the Offaly native finished with a flourish to stay in the hunt at the Desert Classic.
Full of confidence after his sensational win in Abu Dhabi last weekend, Lowry heads into the weekend just four shots adrift of halfway point leaders Lucas Herbert and Bryson DeChambeau.
Two birdies in his final three holes saw Lowry card a second-round 67 at the Emirates Golf Club, and that leaves him sitting in a tie for 14th on eight-under par.
Australian Herbert and US Ryder Cup player DeChambeau lead the way on 12-under, with Alvaro Quiros, Ernie Els, Matt Fitzpatrick and Sergio Garcia among a strong chasing pack.
Following on from his first-round 69 yesterday, Lowry got off to a flying start on Friday by picking up shots on two of his first four holes to hit the turn in 33, before recording four further birdies on the home stretch.
The only blemish on his card was a five on the par-four 12th but the 31-year-old repaired the damage with a three on the next, while those birdies on 16 and 18 left him on five-under for the day.
There was more disappointment for Paul Dunne, meanwhile, as the Greystones native missed his second consecutive cut after carding a 75 on Friday, leaving him on one-over for the tournament and two shots outside the buffer zone.
Herbert, eyeing a maiden European Tour title, heads into the weekend on 12-under following a magnificent blemish-free second round.
The world number 86 got underway on the back nine with a three at the 10th, then maintained his momentum with successive birdies before picking up another shot at 16.
He made another four gains after the turn to take the sole lead before he was joined by American DeChambeau.
DeChambeau is ominously poised after back-to-back six-under rounds of 66; the second including an eagle and three bogeys.
The world number five finished with consecutive birdies, moving him a shot clear of Els and 2011 champion Quiros.
Els, who won the first of his three Dubai Desert Classic titles 25 years ago, also eagled the 10th as he shot a 65, while Quiros had claimed the clubhouse lead with an impressive 64.
Defending champion Li Haotong is a further stroke back alongside Callum Shinkwin, Matthieu Pavon, Matt Wallace and Jason Scrivener, with overnight leader Fitzpatrick nine-under.
Just over a week out from the 2019 Six Nations openers, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey are joined by Bernard Jackman to look at Ireland’s bid for another Grand Slam:
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