Published July 17, 2008 on November 17, 2018

Wallace Cries Freedom in Dubai

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Matt Wallace is seeking his fourth win of a remarkable season as he recorded a bogey-free round of 65 to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – the eighth and final Rolex Series event of 2018.

The Englishman, who admitted he is playing with more freedom this week after putting too much pressure on himself recently, got off to a fast start in his bid to secure his first Rolex Series title, birdieing the first two holes on the way to a round of seven under par for the day and a total of 11 under.

A victory on Sunday would make Wallace the 14th player to win four times or more in a European Tour season and the first since Alex Noren in 2016, but he has an elite pack close behind him at Jumeirah Golf Estates

The 2016 Masters Tournament winner Danny Willett fired a 67 to reach ten under par alongside fellow Englishman Jordan Smith and Adrian Otaegui of Spain. Reigning Masters Champion Patrick Reed of the United States is one shot further back after a bogey-free round of 66.

In the battle to be crowned Europe’s Number One, England’s Tommy Fleetwood needs a win to have a chance of successfully defending his Race to Dubai title and he is currently three shots off the lead at eight under par, alongside three-time Race to Dubai winner Rory McIlroy, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Dean Burmester of South Africa.

Defending champion Jon Rahm and Swedish pair Henrik Stenson and Alexander Björk are then at seven under par.

To seal back-to-back Race to Dubai titles Fleetwood also needs Italy’s Francesco Molinari to finish outside of the top five, with a 73 leaving the Open Champion eight shots off the lead.

 

Round Two scores

133 M Wallace (Eng) 68 65,
134 J Smith (Eng) 66 68, A Otaegui (Esp) 66 68, D Willett (Eng) 67 67,
135 P Reed (USA) 69 66,136 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 70 66, R McIlroy (Nir) 69 67, D Burmester (RSA) 71 65, T Fleetwood (Eng) 69 67,
137 A Björk (Swe) 72 65, H Stenson (Swe) 71 66, J Rahm (Esp) 67 70,
138 T Pieters (Bel) 68 70, T Lewis (Eng) 69 69, R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 69 69, A Pavan (Ita) 69 69,
139 A Sullivan (Eng) 72 67, L Westwood (Eng) 70 69, S Garcia (Esp) 71 68,
140 M Southgate (Eng) 71 69, M Kinhult (Swe) 69 71, T Detry (Bel) 70 70, S Horsfield (Eng) 73 67, H Tanihara (Jpn) 69 71, A Noren (Swe) 69 71, S Sharma (Ind) 73 67,
141 W Ormsby (Aus) 69 72, F Molinari (Ita) 68 73, P Dunne (Irl) 72 69, H Li (Chn) 68 73, R Fisher (Eng) 68 73, R Knox (Sco) 73 68,
142 X Schauffele (USA) 71 71, L Slattery (Eng) 72 70, J Luiten (Ned) 69 73, C Paisley (Eng) 71 71, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 72, S Lowry (Irl) 70 72, E Van Rooyen (RSA) 71 71,
143 M Korhonen (Fin) 69 74, D Frittelli (RSA) 70 73, T Hatton (Eng) 71 72,
144 R Rock (Eng) 71 73, T Olesen (Den) 71 73, A Levy (Fra) 72 72, L Herbert (Aus) 74 70,
145 D Fichardt (RSA) 74 71,
146 A Wu (Chn) 72 74, I Poulter (Eng) 72 74, B Grace (RSA) 71 75, M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 74 72,
147 M Kaymer (Ger) 72 75, L Bjerregaard (Den) 76 71,
148 A Rai (Eng) 73 75, R Fox (Nzl) 74 74, J Campillo (Esp) 74 74,
149 C Wood (Eng) 73 76,
150 B Stone (RSA) 74 76,
155 J Lagergren (Swe) 76 79,
** E Pepperell (Eng) 75 RT,