Ernie Els has shot 68 67 to get to -9 just a shot behind leader Rafa Cabrera Bello 67 67 -10 who won here in 2012 and is in great form after last week's T2 at the Qatar Masters following a top 15 finish in Abu Dhabi .
Dressed in bright blue slacks and a big pink shirt the big Easy talked after his round about how he is falling in love on the greens again, after he got so bad earlier in South Africa he was grinding over 18"ers. It's hard to imagine this gentle giant has slipped to #205 in the world.
With a new left hand low grip, and a new comfortable set up, he is rolling in putts the way he did in his prime especially here where he is the three-time champion with another 5 top 10's.
He is joined by Danny Willett (65) and Trevor Fisher Jnr at -9. Joost Luiten, Thorbjørn Olesen, Andy Sullivan and Chris Wood are all at -8
Henrik Stenson, who won here in 2007, and 2011 winner Alvaro Quiros are a further shot behind alongside Brett Rumford at -7
Defending champion Rory McIlroy rescued his round with a birdie-birdie-birdie finish for 72. It was one of those rounds for Rory where he had a lot of bad luck on this Emirates Course which seems much firmer this year with less rough in crucial run off areas. On a few occassions superb towering drives kept on just trickling into fairway bunkers, and his putter was cold on his front nine where he had 4 bogey's to go out in 38.
Els, McIlroy and Stenson will all be going for a fifth title in the Gulf States, while a win for McIlroy would also see him match Ernie's record of three wins at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
Bryan Angus
(notes from europeantour.com)
Bryan Angus
(notes from europeantour.com)
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