Home Sports Rory McIlroy ‘only’ nine shots back as he chases history at Dubai Desert Classic

Rory McIlroy ‘only’ nine shots back as he chases history at Dubai Desert Classic

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Rory McIlroy finishes his second round at the Dubai Desert Classic

Rory McIlroy suffered a cold putter in Dubai, but believes conditions will turn in his favor this weekend – Getty Images/Pedro Salado

If Rory McIlroy wants to emulate the history of players like Ernie Els and Sir Nick Faldo, he will have to repeat his own history here at the Desert Classic.

Halfway through this event last year, McIlroy was 10 shots off the lead and won; this time he is “only” nine behind. If the world number 3 can produce an equally impressive weekend load He would later become the first player to win the same regular DP World Tour event three times in a row since Els at the Heineken Classic.

Before the Big Easy, Colin Montgomerie achieved the “three-timer,” as Americans like to call it, at the BMW PGA Championship, while in 1993 Faldo accomplished the feat at the Irish Open.

Ian Woosnam is the only other hat-trick hero (the Welshman continuing his streak at the Monte Carlo Open), making it quite a select list to join. Of course, McIlroy is more than worthy of the company and on a Majlis track where he has won four times before, he knows he is very capable. If you can putt, of course.

“I would say the winning score is not going to be much above what the leader has right now, especially with the way the field is going to develop over the weekend,” he said, after a 71 in the second round that took him three -under. “The greens will continue to get a little firmer and there will be a lot of emphasis on putting them on the fairway and hitting a lot of greens. If I can focus on that over the weekend, make a couple putts, I think I still have a good chance.”

With Jon Rahm missing the cut (the Spaniard shot a 77 with two double bogeys) and the woefully out of form Viktor Hovland also making a premature exit, McIlroy will delight sponsors if he can at least put his big name on the classification. But there are 32 players ahead of the 35-year-old and with Tyrrell Hatton tied for third at eight under after a 65, McIlroy has plenty of quality to circumnavigate.

And the one who sets the pace is not a fool. Scot Ewen Ferguson has won three times in the last three years and it’s fair to say the confident 28-year-old is no stranger to Emirates Golf Club.

Ferguson lives in Dubai (in fact, his apartment overlooks the course) and the crowd greeted his fortuitous shot at the par-five 18th with a roar. The world number 141’s second shot was too long, but it hit the stands and bounced five feet from the pin to set up the unlikeliest of Eagles for a total of 65 and 12 under par. Local knowledge, indeed.

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