Dubai, Jan 19 (PTI) India’s Shubhankar Sharma carded a fine 1-under 71 after his first round 72 to make the cut in tied-52nd place at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic here on Friday.
Sharma has been playing the event since 2018 and it is the fifth time he has made it to the weekend rounds.
Cameron Young, making his debut in a Rolex Series event, putted brilliantly for 67-64 and is 13-under to stay three shots clear of the field.
His closest rivals were Andy Sullivan and Poland’s Adrian Meronk, who was recently named as the DP World Tour’s Players Player of the Year.
Meronk could have been in sole second but missed a four-foot birdie putt on Par-5 18th.
Sharma saw all the action in the first eight holes, which he began with a double bogey after being stuck in the rough, as against an eagle a day earlier.
But Sharma fought back superbly.
Producing some great approach shots, the Indian birdied the second and third and on the Par-3 fourth he hit his third birdie in a row.
However, he then missed a two-footer for par on Par-3 seventh, but again fought back with a birdie on the eighth.
He would miss another short putt inside three feet for birdie on 13th as he parred the last 10 holes for 71.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who missed a lot of small putts, survived a four-hole stretch in the middle when he had three bogeys and a birdie between eighth and the 11th.
He shot 2-under 70, and rounded off with a birdie on 18th. He is 3-under for 36 holes and tied-24th.
Young has never won on the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour but, now, at three clear he is the favourite.
Young was sensational on the back nine of the Majlis Course.
After closing the first round on the first day with 6-under 31 back nine, including a birdie-birdie-eagle finish, he teed on the back nine on the second day.
Immediately, he had five birdies on the back nine, including three in a row from 16th to 18th.
He added a fourth on the first. Three more birdies on third, fourth and the seventh brought him to 14-under, before he gave away a shot on the ninth, just as he had on the first day.
Source: PTI News
