Tommy turns heat up on pal
TOMMY FLEETWOOD is certainly doing his best to keep the suspense going right up to the chequered flag in the Race to Dubai.
The popular Englishman shot a fine second-round 67 in the DP World Tour Championship yesterday to make life interesting this weekend in the battle with his big pal Francesco Molinari for Europe’s Order of Merit crown.
Fleetwood knows nothing but a win will be good enough in this final event, and that target is certainly within range after his five-under-par score that left him trailing the leader, fellow Englishman Matt Wallace, by just three shots.
If Fleetwood did win, Molinari would have to finish in the top five to stay ahead in the overall race, but the Italian’s hopes took a tumble after a rare poor round of 73 left him tied 27th at the halfway point.
Just why Fleetwood finishes in the top 10 practically every week was demonstrated during Thursday’s opening round, when he hit it all over the Jumeirah Estates golf course and yet somehow still carded a 69.
Fleetwood, 27, was the last on the practice ground that evening searching for a solution and he found one.
‘It was like night and day in terms of ball-striking,’ he said. ‘On Thursday I couldn’t have got any more from the round while this time I played so well I might have even scored one or two shots lower.
‘It’s still a very difficult task to win the Race to Dubai, it’s not like I’m a prolific winner this year. ‘I’ve had chances and missed them so am still trying to knock on that door and win a tournament, the same as everybody is.
‘There’s so many different things going on, but the situation is pretty black and white. Just keep going and put everything into it for another two days.’
Fleetwood is fully aware that he can afford no mistakes this weekend, with the leaderboard boasting not only a three-time winner this year in Wallace, but also Masters champion Patrick Reed — just two off the pace — and with Rory McIlroy standing alongside him after a 67 of his own.
This time last week, in the exotic setting of the Gary Player Country Club in South Africa, the Northern Irishman’s play was so bang average he wittily admitted he was ‘paying more attention to the lions and elephants than leaderboards’.
Now he is back on the trail of golfing big game as he seeks to sign off his disappointing year with what would be his first win in a regular European Tour event since the 2016 Irish Open.
‘I have to be pleased,’ the four-time major winner said. ‘It’s a massive improvement considering the golf I’ve played the last couple of weeks. To shoot two scores in the 60s is great.
‘I just want to give myself another chance to win a golf tournament. I’ve given myself plenty of chances this year. I just haven’t capitalised on those chances.’
Speaking of Masters champions, how good to see Danny Willett continue his recent revival. He stands joint-second alongside Jordan Smith and the Spaniard with a surname comprising a full set of vowels — Adrian Otaegui.
A a day after being fined for slow play, Wallace set the pace at the halfway stage, adding a flawless 65 to his opening 68 at Jumeirah Golf Estates to reach 11 under par. GRAEME McDOWELL is poised for his best finish of the year on the PGA Tour as he climbed into the top ten at the half-way point at the RSM Classic.
McDowell added a 68 on the par 72 Plantation Course at Sea Island to his opening 67 on the par 70 Seaside Course as he reached seven under par, seven shots adrift of leader Charles Howell.
Séamus Power was cruising towards a much-needed cut with plenty to spare as he completed 12 holes on the Seaside Course to stand five under par for the tournament.
However, a poor drive led to a quadruple bogeys eight on the fourth hole, his 13th, as a shell-shocked Power stumbled to a 71 to finish one under par, one shot above the projected cut.
Pádraig Harrington grabbed four birdies inside his first 10 holes on the Seaside Course to move to one under overall.
But a three-putt par from 45 feet on the long 15th proved costly and when a 12-footer for a birdie three missed at the last, his fighting 66 was one shot too many.