DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland failed to qualify for the competition and Rory McIlroy was forced to fight to survive the weekend as the main teams struggled to survive the Dubai Desert Classic.
Ewen Ferguson took full advantage.
Ferguson, the 141st-ranked Scot, shot a 7-under 65 to lead by one stroke after the second round of the prestigious European tour on Friday.
Ferguson jumped into the lead with a huge slice of fortune late in the day on the par-5 18th hole, where he overshot his second shot but saw the ball bounce off a large billboard and back onto the green, settling 5 feet from the pin. He made an eagle hole this week and dropped to 12 under.
New Zealand’s David Hillier, 223rd in the rankings, also shot 65, putting him in second place and the only player three shots behind Ferguson. 17th-place Tyrrell Hatton (65) finished in a three-way tie for third at 8 under.
Rahm (77), a two-time major winner currently playing on the breakaway LIV Golf circuit, and Hovland (73), ranked eighth, returned home early after a difficult two days at Emirates Golf Club with variable winds and a heavy storm and testing pin arrangement in difficult conditions.
“I wouldn’t say everything went well,” said Rahm, who dropped to 31st in the rankings. “No part of today’s game was even mediocre to how I would like to feel.”
McIlroy will hang around, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be in the shape needed, especially with the putter, to win the tournament for a third straight year.
The third-ranked player from Northern Ireland was dejected after the final few holes and could barely smile even as he birdied the 18th, shooting 71 for a 3-under par for the tournament.
McIlroy was nine shots off the lead and made just 39 feet of putts in the entire second round.
“A little frustrated,” McIlroy said. “But I thought the conditions were a little bit difficult.”
However, McIlroy’s spirits were lifted when he was reminded that he was 10 shots behind after playing 36 holes last year before returning as champion.
“I would say the winning score won’t be much higher than what the current leader is, especially with the way the course is going to play on the weekend and how this course has performed over the last weekend for several years,” McIlroy said.
“The greens will continue to get a little bit tighter, with a lot of emphasis on putting them in the fairway and hitting a lot of greens. If I can focus on that over the weekend and make a few putts, I think I still have a decent chance.
Ferguson is a three-time winner on the European tour, with his last victory coming in July at the BMW International Open.
