DP World Tour Championship: Patrick takes sole ownership

Dubai - Following a sedate opening where he shot a bogey-free two-under par 70, the world No.11 conjured the lowest score of the day on Friday to surge to the top

More often than not, being cautious rather than going on an all-out attack and having a nothing to lose attitude, certainly pays. And Patrick Reed certainly did that with aplomb. The American, bidding to become the first golfer from the USA to claim the prestigious Race to Dubai, shifted gears to take sole ownership of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Following a sedate opening where he shot a bogey-free two-under par 70, the world No.11 conjured the lowest score of the day on Friday to surge to the top.

The 30-year-old signed off with an eight-under par 64 on the 7675-yard Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates, to turn a three-shot deficit to a two-stroke lead at the halfway mark and heading into ‘Moving Day.’

Reed, who leads the Race to Dubai with 2,427.7 points, rolled in nine birdies in his second round. It could have been even better if not for a lone bogey on the par-4 12th as he finished with an overall 10-under par.

That saw the Texan two shots ahead of England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick, who came up with an identical four-under, the same as his first round, to be on eight-under.

Lurking behind him are compatriots Tyrrell Hatton and Laurie Canter, who came up with four-under and six-under respectively to be tied third with seven-under.

Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, the 2017 Race to Dubai champion, scored a three-under to be six-under and tied fifth along with Finland’s Sami Valimaki, England’s Lee Westwood and South African Branden Grace.

Overnight leader Victor Perez, who had shot a five-under on Thursday, carded a two-over to slip to tied 14th. The Frenchman endured a tough day with two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey marking his round.

American Collin Morikawa, who had shot par earlier, came up with a two-under to be tied 21st.

james@khaleejtimes.com