DP World Tour : Hero Dubai Desert Classic Leaderboard
Scotland's Ewen Ferguson rode his luck on the final hole as an eagle gave him a one-shot lead at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
It looked for most of the day that Daniel Hillier's -11 halfway total would be enough to lead going into the weekend at Emirates Golf Club.
However, Ferguson chipped in on the eighth as he turned in 32 then birdied the long tenth from close range.
Six straight pars looked to have derailed his chances of leading outright, but he holed a 30-footer at the 17th to get within one then saw his second to the par-five last clatter off the stand behind the green and bounce back to five feet, with the subsequent eagle giving him a 65 and -12 halfway total.
“I think I played well,” said Ferguson. “I just stuck to my game plan.
“I didn't try and overpower the course like I had tried to last year. It's just not my game. I hit seven-wood on some of the shorter holes that are tight and gave myself chances.
“Last year I felt like I tried to almost drive it on the greens, I don't hit it as far as someone like Rory (McIlroy) and I had an awkward 30-yarder from the heavy rough but this time had a good strategy and felt good support out there so far. Yeah, 65 sounds nice."
On his exploits on the 18th, Ferguson added: “I thought, you know, what I'm just going to go to the back and even if I have to go in the drop zone, I'm just going to splash it out. If I had a 15-footer on the last, I would have been fine with that. Still would have made that for a good day, but a wee bit of luck goes a long way.
“Yeah, 36 holes played, leading so far is great. It's nice to be doing well, and as big as this is, some of the players that are playing, it's really, really cool, and I'm proud of myself.”
New Zealand's Hillier had also eagled the 18th, albeit in more orthodox fashion from 15 feet, in a flawless round of 65.
The pair are well clear of the chasing pack, with South African Shaun Norris, Australia's Jason Scrivener and English pair Laurie Canter and Tyrrell Hatton tied for third on -8.
edit ** Rory McIlroy is in a large group T33 70 71 -3, Tommy Fleetwood T16 71 68 -5. The cut fell at E par leaving 79 players to play on the weekend.
Canada's Aaron Cockerill T4 here last year, this year with 76 75 +7 T121 he is 4th last.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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