JAMIE GETS HIS JUST DESERTS

..but Rory can overhaul him

JAMIE DONALDSON remains the man to catch at the Dubai Desert Classic but Rory McIlroy still has a great chance to hunt him down.

After fog delayed the start of play by almost three hours, Donaldson added a 69 to his opening 62 to set the clubhouse target at 13 under.

That gave the Welshman a one-shot lead over China’s Li Haotong, who hit a 66, with South Africa’s Branden Grace a shot further back following a 65.

But they could still be surpassed by those who have yet to finish their rounds as Sweden’s Alexander Bjork is 11 under with six holes remaining.

McIlroy is just one shot further behind and the Northern Irishman still has seven holes left this morning to make up ground.

Donaldson, who had flirted with carding the first 59 on the European Tour on Thursday, understandably struggled to reproduce that sort of sensational scoring.

But he still bagged four birdies and hit just one bogey as he bids for a first title since the Thailand Championship in December 2015.

Donaldson said: “In the past I’ve backed up low scores like that with another one but today it wasn’t to be. I’m quite happy with a 69 though.

“It was pretty solid again. I drove the ball well, my iron shots were good. I took the birdies generally when I hit it close enough but could have played the par fives a bit better.

“I went for it a bit on the last there, trying to get it right around the corner, and blocked myself out.

“If you shoot three under on the par fives as opposed to one then it’s a different day. But overall I’m happy.”

McIlroy made a flying start to his second round with three birdies in the first five holes before dropping his first shot of the week following a wayward drive on the eighth.

The four-time Major winner, who marked his first competitive start since October with a tie for third in Abu Dhabi last week, bounced back with a birdie on the 10th.

And he parred the next before play was suspended for the day.