Fit-again Willett is no longer the fall guy

Danny Willett believes he is no longer golf’s version of Humpty Dumpty as he targets a first victory since the 2016 Masters.

Willett carded a second round of 65 in the Turkish Airlines Open to lie two shots off the lead held by defending champion Justin Rose, who will return to world number one with victory at Regnum Carya Golf Resort tomorrow.

Rose’s second consecutive 65 gave him a halfway total of 12 under par and means he is now a combined 50 under for his 10 rounds in the £5.4 million event, while he also won its precursor – an eight-man matchplay competition – in 2012.

Tom Lewis and 2016 champion Thorbjorn Olesen share second place with Willett on 10 under par, with Lewis carding a flawless 63.

Willett reached a careerhigh of ninth in the world after claiming his first major title at Augusta National, but had slumped outside the top 450 earlier this year after suffering numerous injuries and a loss of form.

“The body is in the best place it’s been in probably five or six years now and the golf game is going along with it and following that trend,” the world number 322 said after a round containing seven birdies and one bogey.

“It was like Humpty Dumpty, every time you finished playing you’ve got to put him back together again, rest up and then try and go again tomorrow.

“It’s nice that we can put more time in and it’s a game of practice; the more you practise the better chance you give yourself.”

Lewis is another player on the comeback trail after winning the Portugal Masters in September, seven years after victory in the same event.

A second round of 66 left Tommy Fleetwood four shots off the pace as he tries to close the gap to Ryder Cup partner Francesco Molinari at the top of the Race to Dubai.