Dubai desert classics

Hero Dubai Desert Classic: Rory McIlroy was the only player from among the Top-19 to have anything worse than a bogey on his card and he had a quadruple-bogey. Yet when things came to an end on the second day of the Dubai Invitational, he had overcome that and the windy conditions to hold off his two-shot lead going into the weekend.

After a stunning bogey free 62, McIlroy was cruising with two more birdies on the third and fourth and he moved to a four-shot lead at one stage. Then came that quadruple bogey on Par-3 eighth hole. He found water off the tee twice and took seven to complete the hole. On the back nine, the World No. 2 repaired some of the damage with three birdies and ended with 1-under 70 and is now 10-under for 36 holes as he goes for a sixth title in Dubai and primes himself ahead of his title defence at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic next week.

German Yannik Paul, whose troubles included three bogeys between the fifth and the ninth, carded 70 and Dane Jeff Winther (66), who finished the day with his only bogey, were both 8-under and two behind McIlroy.