DUNNE IN THE RUNNING AS ROSE BLOOMS

PAUL DUNNE is two shots off the DP World Championship lead as Justin Rose took a massive step closer to a remarkable Race to Dubai triumph.

American Patrick Reed overcame a back injury to head the field after the first round with a flawless 65 at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

At seven under he finished a shot ahead of Rose and Australia’s Scott Hend, with defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick part of a six-strong group on five under.

That includes Dunne who also had a bogey-free card as he recorded five birdies to lead the Irish charge with Shane Lowry two shots further back.

Rose (inset) was a distant 10th in the money list until claiming more than 2.3million points with back-to-back victories in China and Turkey and came into the week trailing long-time leader Tommy Fleetwood by 256,738.

That means the Olympic champion needs at least a top-five finish to overhaul Fleetwood, whose 73 suffered hugely in comparison with another superb display from playing partner Rose.

“It looks worse and feels worse,” Fleetwood admitted. “He played flawless golf. I don’t know how long he’s going to keep doing this for but it’s doing my head in.

“To do well I have to improve things myself. I can’t go out and play my round and then go out and watch him and hope he doesn’t do very well.”

Rose’s only bogey also came via a three-putt on the ninth but the 37-year-old holed out from a bunker on the 14th for an eagle in a back nine of 31 and admitted he was now the man to catch.

“It’s probably shifted but tomorrow could be a whole other day,” Rose said. “This was not really on the radar a month ago. That’s the perspective that I have to keep because it’s an opportunity for me.” GAVIN MOYNIHAN secured his European Tour card in dramatic fashion yesterday.

The Dubliner (above) birdied the final hole at the Lumine Golf Club in Spain to squeak into the big time.

With that impressive finish under extreme pressure Moynihan, 23, was tied for 25th place which was the minimum requirement for a coveted card.

He sighed: “It wasn’t that I was nervous today, I was just stressed.”

Manchester golfer Sam Horsfield had a closing eight-under 63 to win the Qualifying School by eight strokes on 27 under.