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Rory McIlroy put himself in an excellent position heading into the weekend at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation and then declared he was confident he could go on to win his home event.
The Northern Irishman is playing host to the tournament for the second consecutive season but had missed the cut three years in a row before rounds of 67-70 saw him make a good start at the K Club.
His previous best finish was seventh in 2008 and the four-time Major Championship winner said before the start this week and after the first round how eager he was to at last taste victory on home soil.
To do that he must overcome an elite field, with Masters Tournament champion Danny Willett and three-time European tour winner Marc Warren both a shot ahead of him at eight under heading into the weekend.
But after striking the ball beautifully over days one and two, McIlroy believes if he can cut out the mistakes, he will be right in the mix come Sunday afternoon.
"I'm making enough birdies," he said. "I think I made six birdies yesterday. I made six birdies today. So the birdies are there. I just need to limit the mistakes. Four bogeys today, a couple of really soft bogeys as well.
"I know that I'm hitting enough good shots and I'm holing enough putts. If I can live with the mistakes, I feel like I'll be right there.
"Obviously I haven't made the cut here for a while, and to be in for the weekend and play a solid two rounds of golf, I'm right there in the mix. I'm excited for the weekend."
McIlroy came into the second round two shots behind Willett and while he twice reined him in, he twice fell two shots behind again with a closing birdie from 20 feet on the ninth - his last - cutting the gap to one.
"I was getting quite frustrated there," he added. "Especially the end of the round, I felt I was giving myself chances and wasn't converting, and any time I did make a mistake, I wasn't saving par.
"To hole that birdie putt on the last, it was nice. It gives me a little bit of momentum going into the weekend, and I'll need it."
Willett is playing his first European Tour event since his maiden Major triumph at Augusta and McIlroy is delighted to have the man he beat to the Race to Dubai title last term in contention.
"I don't think anyone was happier than me last night because of what Danny shot, and then obviously me being up there," he said. "Both up there for the weekend, the Masters Champion and myself, it's a good leaderboard.
"It's great to see Danny up there, as well. I was very pleased that he committed to come and play here."
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