DUBAI — England’s Andy Sullivan carded an unblemished 66 in the second round of the DP World Tour Championship Friday to take the outright lead after sinking a 25-foot birdie from off the green on the final hole.
Sullivan, 28, has an aggregate 12-under score of 132 at the halfway stage of the European Tour’s $8 million season finale. He is a stroke ahead of Argentine Emiliano Grillo, whose second-round 64 was the lowest of the tournament.
“It’s absolutely awesome to be leading after halfway in such a massive event,” Sullivan told reporters after making an arcing putt on the 18th to deafening cheers from the gallery.
The world No. 53 has rarely erred in Dubai, registering a solitary bogey over 36 holes, while four birdies in the final seven holes Friday helped him snatch the lead by the close.
Sullivan will partner Grillo in the third round, with the South American returning to sizzling form after winning October’s Frys.com Open on the PGA tour, a victory he said helped strengthen his self-belief in Dubai.
“It’s pretty much like a major here,” said Grillo, 23, who partnered world number three Rory McIlroy on Friday.
American Patrick Reed (65) is nine-under on 135, while three players including four-time major winner McIlroy and former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel are a shot further adrift.
In all, 20 players are within six shots of the lead.
England’s Ian Poulter was one of four overnight joint-leaders, but three bogeys and a double-bogey in Friday’s opening 12 holes dropped him out of contention as he carded 74 for a combined score of 140.
Justin Rose is back in with a chance after a second-round 66 moved him to 137, five shots adrift following six birdies after the turn.
Scott clings to share of lead
In Melbourne, tournament favorite Adam Scott held a share of the lead after the second round of his home Australian Masters Friday but rued a wayward back nine that left him vulnerable to a weekend challenge.
Starting a stroke ahead of the field at Melbourne’s Huntingdale Golf Club, the former world No. 1 was five clear at the turn but came unstuck at the 10th, where a double-bogey stalled his momentum on a cool and drizzly afternoon.
From there it was a grind, as Scott dropped another two strokes and bogeyed the last to fall into a share of the lead with unheralded local Peter Wilson.
Victorian professional Wilson shot a second consecutive 67 and relished the chance to be paired with Scott, the 2013 US Masters winner.
Scott and Wilson were a stroke ahead of Queenslander Matthew Guyatt (66) in outright third.
American George McNeill, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, was two shots adrift after firing a 66, with US Amateur champion Bryce Dechambeau a further three off the pace on three-under.
Kruger hits form with sparkling 65
In Manila, South Africa’s Jbe Kruger finally found some form as he hit a brilliant seven-under-par 65 in windy conditions to share a three-way lead at the Manila Masters Friday.
Kruger, down to 500th in the world rankings after only one top-10 finish all year, produced the second round’s lowest score to be tied with Taiwan’s Hung Chien-yao and Lee Chieh-po.
Lee carded an eagle and five birdies for six-under 66 at par-72 Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club, while Hung’s blemish-free 67 included a 15-yard chip-in on the par-three third.
Overnight leader Nicholas Fung was a shot further back in tied fourth alongside Philippines local hero Rufino Bayron. — Agencies
