Perhaps a Race to Dubai will break out after all. Francesco Molinari’s advantage, of more than €1m over Tommy Fleetwood with just one event of the European Tour season to go, had looked unassailable until Friday. For Fleetwood, the equation is simple; he must win the DP World Tour Championship and hope his close friend finishes worse than a two-way tie for fifth.

Francesco Molinari: ‘As a kid I’d get angry on the course and break a club’ Read more

That Fleetwood is firmly of a mind to deliver his side of the bargain was illustrated during the second round. A 67 left him within three of the 11-under-par lead held by Matt Wallace as Molinari, pertinently, slipped to a 73. The Open champion is eight adrift of England’s Wallace at halfway and in share of 27th. The order of merit trophy engraver should hold fire; the chaser has gained potentially crucial momentum.

“Every shot seems very important,” said Fleetwood. “It’s just a completely different feeling to any other week of the year. All your senses are a little bit heightened and every shot means that little bit more because it all comes down to this. From a tournament perspective, 72 holes is a long time but it’s a very short period of time that we’ve got left now in the grand scheme of the year.”

Molinari’s trouble arrived on the closing six holes, which he played in three over. This was curiously scrappy from the typically unflappable Italian.

Great golf duels, quick pitstops and sticking it up the punter | Classic YouTube Read more

Rory McIlroy’s positive Dubai touch continued courtesy of a 67 and he joined Fleetwood in a four-way tie for sixth on eight under. Patrick Reed, who partnered McIlroy on day two, signed for a 66 to move to nine under. McIlroy has a habit of bringing out the best in the Masters champion.

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted, to be a worldwide player,” Reed said. “To come overseas and to win an event here would mean a lot. I haven’t won overseas yet. To win the finale would definitely make Christmas a lot better.”

Henrik Stenson, who has enjoyed plentiful success in Dubai before, may yet end a troubled 2018 with a smile. The Swede, who was troubled by a tendon injury in his left elbow throughout the key part of this season, underwent minor surgery after playing his part in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory in France. After a 66, which moved him to minus seven in total, Stenson revealed the full extent of his fitness woe.

Sign up to The Recap, our weekly email of editors’ picks.

“It put me behind the eight ball because I couldn’t prepare properly for the Open,” said Stenson. “I went there and played but was in agony, it was a rough week.

“There was no way I was going to miss Paris if I had the opportunity to go. It’s something you dream about and it was nothing short of that when we got there. Those were memories for a lifetime. I played on anti-inflammatories, it was pretty uncomfortable in the mornings and during early practice rounds. But when you are playing in a Ryder Cup, you can cope with a little bit of pain and push through.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Henrik Stenson with his new caddie Scott Vail. Photograph: Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images

Stenson confirmed he and his long-time caddie Gareth Lord have “taken a break” with Scott Vail, previously on the bag of Brandt Snedeker, on duty here. Stenson and Lord combined to win multiple events, including the FedEx Cup and Open.

“We are good friends, we have had an amazing run, we have been together for almost six years,” Stenson said. “We didn’t feel we were as good together as we were in the past. We lost the golden touch a little bit and felt it might be good to do something different.

“We talked about it, we both wanted to go to the Ryder Cup. This was going to be our last event but I was injured and not sure if I could make it back and Gareth has had a shoulder problem for two years. We both had to go into the repair shop, he has just had shoulder surgery and will be out for a couple of months anyway.

“We decided to take a little bit of a break, we are great friends and there are no bridges burnt. We might be back out there together in the future. Scott and Gareth are good friends as well so we are keeping it in the same circle.”