(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Stenson occupies the top position on the leaderboard of the $ eight million DP World Tour Championship.
Henrilk Stenson hit seven birdies and a bogey on the three par fourth for a round of 66 on Friday
Dubai — The race to top in the season finale at the Earth is getting fiercer as defending champion Henrik Stenson keeps a close eye on the rear view mirror in his bid to end the season on a winning note. At the end day two he occupies the top position on the leaderboard of the $ eight million DP World Tour Championship.
Before the tournament the Swede had admitted that his 25-under performance to win the 2013 title here along with the Race to Dubai was difficult to replicate. However his short game on the greens improved for him to card 66 for a two stroke lead over three others.
The World number one Rory McIlroy Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Englishman Ganny Willett are breathing down Stenson’s neck with eight under par.
McIlroy who has already sewn up the Race to Dubai title didn’t have as good a day as he had on the first day. He finished the second day with 70 against 66 on the opening day. Playing his first tournament after a six-week lay-off the Northern Ireland golfer had a terrible 18th hole after a birdie on the 17th. McIlroy found the water with the driver from the tee but managed to end the round with a par.
“I’m in a good position and there is a lot of golf left” McIlroy insisted about his second day finish.
“I’ve definitely been in worse positions after two rounds and still won” he reminded journalists with a chuckle that said a lot about his confidence to overtake Stenson for whom he had a word of praise. “Henrik (Stenson) is very comfortable on this golf course. Obviously I can’t let him get too far ahead tomorrow. I have to get off to a fast start and try and put a bit of pressure on him. Hopefully I can do that.”
Stenson is almost at home at the Jumeirah Golf Estate where a year ago he became the first man to win The Race to Dubai and FedEx Cup in the same year. But after that high season ending the likeable Swede hasn’t had a great year and he admitted that he had felt like he had ‘hit the wall’. But after his 68 on the opening day Stenson hit seven birdies and a bogey on the three par fourth for a round of 66 that gave him a slender lead with two more rounds over 36 holes to go. “There’s still a lot of golf to play and I’m really happy with how I closed this round” said Stenson who was 25 under par in winning by six shots last year.
“Around the 12th hole I felt like I was running out of steam. It was difficult mentally from there on. I had to really focus hard and drag myself over the finish line. “It’s hot and sticky and even though I’m drinking well and getting plenty of energy I just felt like I hit the wall on 12. If it’s one or two holes left you normally feel like ‘okay I can hang on’. But it was a bit of an uphill (struggle) from there. I managed to finish in good style anyway so I’m pleased with that.”
The hot and sticky day for Stenson was also a day full of drama in which Shane Lowry hit his professional career’s first hole-in-one on the 13th and then went wide off the mark with a shot in the crowd on the 18th to finish as joint third with seven under par.
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