Golf: Ryan Fox posts wild second round at DP World Tour Championship

It was a tough second round for Ryan Fox. Photo / Photosport

Ryan Fox’s hopes of becoming the first New Zealander to claim the Race to Dubai title have faded after an underwhelming second round in Dubai.

Fox, who came into the tournament sitting in second place in the season-long standings, needs a huge result to topple world No 1 Rory McIlroy, but now only has two rounds to pull some magic out his hat.

After an opening round 73, Fox posted a roller-coaster 72 in his second round which included an eagle, three birdies and five bogeys on the Earth Course.

That result left him languishing in 37th place in the 50-man field, 13 shots behind the leaders.

Top-ranked McIlroy went birdie-birdie-eagle on this final three holes for a four-under 68 that left him seven shots back of co-leaders Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton.

“It was nice to finish with a flourish there and put myself a little closer to the guys going into the weekend,” said McIlroy, who is bidding to be the European tour’s leading player for the fourth time in his career.

Fitzpatrick’s 67 puts him at 12-under, to not only share a three-shot lead with Hatton after two rounds, but also keep him out in front in the Race to Dubai.

“I’ve played two good rounds to start with to put myself in position,” the US Open champion said. “Just keep doing more of the same and see where it gets me.”

Fitzpatrick would clinch a first Race to Dubai title with a third win at the DP World Tour Championship, provided McIlroy or Fox don’t finish the event in second. A second-place finish would also be good enough for Fitzpatrick if McIlroy finishes lower than seventh.

Adri Arnaus and Alex Noren are three strokes off the lead. Jon Rahm and Jorge Campillo are a further shot back.

McIlroy’s brilliant approach shot set up his eagle on the par-five 18th. He described his first 33 holes as “very mediocre golf” but said “something sort of clicked.” He’s not sure what.

”I’m not sure, but whatever it is I need to bottle it for the weekend,” the Northern Irishman said. “You never know, that finish here on Friday could be key to something that happens over the next 36 holes.”

McIlroy is trying to win the FedExCup and Race to Dubai in the same year for the first time, having won each event on three occasions. His last Race to Dubai title came in 2015, having also won it in 2012 and 2014.

On the PGA Tour, Kiwi Danny Lee has shot his best round of the season to make the cut at the RSM Classic.

Lee carded a six-under second round after his opening even-par round, to jump up 58 spots into a share of 28th. He is six shots off the lead held by Andrew Putnam, Harry Higgs and former amateur star Cole Hammer.

The 23-year-old Hammer is playing on a sponsor’s exemption and has no full status on any tour, but has been destined for big things ever since qualifying for the US Open as a 15-year-old in 2015.

“I‘m not really supposed to be here,” Hammer said. “I was five over par through 20 holes in the Houston Open [last week] and came back and made the cut and then got a call that night that I was in this week and my fall just kind of kept getting extended.

“So yeah, I didn’t expect to be here at all. House money is a good way to put it.”

- With AP