Everything you need to know from the second day of the first Rolex Series event of the season.
Cameron Young took control, Luke Donald made yet another hole-in-one, Andy Sullivan was feeling like himself again and Ryan Fox was showing off his skills in round two of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Here is everything you need to know from Friday at Emirates Golf Club.
Young takes command
Young will take a three-shot lead into the weekend after firing a stunning 64. The World Number 25 is making his debut at this event but has made himself right at home, carding 14 birdies and an eagle over the first two rounds to get to 13 under. That includes a remarkable run of scoring after being level par after his first 12 holes of the week, picking up 14 shots in his next 22 to fly up the leaderboard. Pole Adrian Meronk and England's Sullivan were the nearest challengers after rounds of 66 and 67 respectively, with Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard and Scotland's Richie Ramsay at seven under. "I putted fantastic," said Young. "I made a couple of long ones yesterday and then made a few more today that had no right going in. I hit a bunch of good putts but just one of those days where you kind of have a couple of 30-footers and you look up and they are going right in the middle, which doesn't happen all that often to have a bunch of them in one round."
The skipper makes an ace
Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald made the sixth hole-in-one of the season and second of his DP World career when he holed an eight iron from 183 yards on the fourth. And afterwards, he revealed the quite frankly mind-boggling amount of aces he has made in his 46 years. "I just hit a cut eight iron and over this little hill," he said. "My eyesight is not that good these days, I couldn't see it but I saw some people behind the green jumping up and down. I've had three in tournaments and I think that was number 19 in total. So I've been pretty fortunate with the holes-in-one. Sorry for anyone out there who has never had one, I've obviously taken them."
Sully takes it back to basics
Andy Sullivan believes going back to his own game may have saved his career as he searches for a first Rolex Series win this week. The Englishman won three times in 2015 en route to a Ryder Cup debut the following year and has finished inside the top 100 on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex for 11 consecutive seasons. Much of that success has been built around what he calls his "lemonade", the stock fade that is his trademark shot. Like many golfers, however, he tried to make changes to achieve even more but is now back with old coach Jamie Gough and back to playing his own game. That has resulted in back-to-back rounds of 67 at Emirates Golf Club and the 36-year-old is happy to be playing to his strengths. "I think sometimes you've just got to accept what you're good at and try and improve the little one per-centers around the greens and wedge shots and stuff and that's what you've got to work with," he said. "I think a little bit of age has come in, finally, a bit of experience. I just swallowed my pride and said, 'Jamie, please take me back'."
How far???
OK, it had a lot of help off the cart path but 399 yards is beyond ridiculous.
That is ridiculous! 😲#DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries https://t.co/fV2UjZR1kZ pic.twitter.com/yknmMwkI6g
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 19, 2024
Foxy putting on a show
On day one it was two chip-ins, on day two it's a near-ace and one of the best bunker shots you'll ever see. From tee, from rough, from sand - Ryan Fox has just got it.