Quiros Commands in Dubai with 64

Alvaro Quiros fired a flawless round of 64 to establish a four-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Dubai World Championship.

The big-hitting Spaniard started the day four off the lead after an opening 68 but was quickly into his stride with two birdies in the first four holes.

Another birdie at the eighth took him to the turn in 33, and he picked up three more shots before finishing in spectacular fashion, two huge strikes at the 620-yard closing hole setting up an eagle and a round of eight-under for the day.

"I hit a lot of good shots to the greens," said Quiros, a winner in Dubai back in February. "I've not been that precise from the tee to be honest.

"Yesterday I was hitting the driver and three-wood better than today, but the good score came today.

"There are some Spanish guys over there saying 'it's yours, you have it', but It's just the second round, we are just halfway, so it doesn't mean anything."

Having stood one ahead of McIlroy on the 18th tee, Quiros soon found himself four clear with the Northern Irishman failing to get up and down from a tricky spot back at the 17th.

And when McIlroy, chasing the victory he needs to have any chance of topping the Order of Merit, found trouble from the tee at the final hole he had to settle for a six, a disappointing round of 71, and suddenly five back.

Luke Donald put himself in a position to strike over the weekend with a round of 68 that saw him move up the leaderboard with a hat-trick of birdies to finish, his four under par total just three behind McIlroy.

It was a huge move for the world number one, who needs to finish ninth or better to clinch the Order of Merit even if McIlroy wins this week, as well as topping the PGA money list.

Approach

After parring the previous seven holes Donald suddenly sprang to life making 15-foot putts on the 16th and long 18th while holing from 10 feet in between.

"Just personally in terms of my mental approach, that was huge," he said. "It would be foolish of me to rely on him (McIlroy) not winning. I know what's at stake and it's big deal to me.

"I was frustrated out there. I tried to stay patient, but it's tough. I want to finish off what I came here to do and those last three holes brought a smile to my face.

"There's certainly a lot of pressure. I'm still making a few mistakes - maybe because of what's at stake. When there's a lot on the line you feel more nervous, but sometimes it's a good thing."

Overnight leader Peter Hanson, Paul Lawrie and Sergio Garcia were the most prominent players to lose ground on the rest of the field, the Swede rescuing his round with a birdie at the last to remain in the final group for round three.

Hanson failed to get anything going after his opening 64 but he hung in with successive birdies at 13 and 14 before getting up and down at the last to go round in level par.

Lawrie held a lead of three early in the day, picking up shots at the first two holes before nearly acing the fourth, but a bogey at the eighth was a portend of things to come and the Scot recorded three bogeys and a double coming home to slip back to six under par - he too finished on a high with a 15-foot birdie.

McIlroy will tee it up with Englishman Robert Rock on Saturday after adding a solid 69 to Thursday's 68 - matching five birdies with a couple of dropped shots.

Paul Casey made his move with a six-under-par 66 that included an eagle at the seventh, his round spoilt by a solitary bogey at the 17th leaving him in a tie for fifth with Lawrie.

The other round of 66 came from Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed, who was clearly irked by finishing his first round with four bogeys, starting as he did with a hat-trick of birdies with his only slip coming, like Casey, at the penultimate hole.

Separated by Price of Golf Ball

Between them they have earned over £6million on the European Tour this season and fortunes more away from the course.

Yet there is still a chance that Luke Donald could pip Rory McIlroy to the Race to Dubai money list title by just £3.55 - less than the cost of a golf ball - on Sunday.

McIlroy has to win the race-ending Dubai World Championship to keep his hopes alive and after an opening six-under-par 66, the 22-year-old US Open champion is in third place, two behind Swede Peter Hanson.

Donald, with the PGA Tour number one spot in America already in the bag, needs a top-nine finish to make sure of an unprecedented double and following a disappointing 72 he returned to the Earth course today in joint 26th position.

If McIlroy does win on Sunday and Donald is in a two-way tie for ninth, their respective earnings would be £3,430,138 and £3,430,141 - the tightest finish ever.

The Northern Ireland youngster has the momentum after winning the Hong Kong Open last Sunday with a closing 65.

He is still operating at less than full fitness, but said: 'To be honest, I'm sort of using it to my advantage in a way.

'It's sort of taken the pressure off me. I'm not 100 per cent and if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen and there's nothing I can do about it.

'You can just go about your game and try and play as well as you can.

I definitely don't feel invincible, but I feel like every time I tee it up I've got a good chance of shooting a good score.

'I don't think I've finished outside the top four since the US PGA (eight events ago - or 10 if you add a couple of four-man events) and everything seems sort of stress-free.

'It's not going to last forever, I'm sure. I'm sure there's going to be a point where I struggle, but right now it's nice to have that feeling.'

Donald was leading his only remaining challenger by three when he turned in 33, but he had to take penalty drops after driving into bushes on successive holes and then had a third bogey in a row.

'I felt very much in control and then I lost it,' Donald said. 'But this is two shots better than the first round last year and I still finished ninth. You've got to find the positives.'

Donald Trails McIlroy Opening

Rory McIlroy opened a six-shot lead over title rival Luke Donald after day one of the Dubai World Championship.

The Northern Irishman must win the tournament and hope Englishman Donald finishes outside the top nine to end the year top of the European rankings.

McIlroy carded a double bogey on the second hole but six birdies on the back nine propelled him to six under par, two behind leader Peter Hanson.

Donald hit three bogeys in a row to finish on level par and is equal 26th.

After the first nine holes US Open champion McIlroy, having found the bushes on the second hole, was three behind playing partner Donald and seven shots off the lead.

But Donald, who has the chance to become the first golfer to win both the European and American money titles, hit a drive left into the bushes on the 14th and had to chip out to safety before dropping a shot.

The world number one followed that slip with two bogeys on 15 and 16.

McIlroy, who won in Hong Kong last week, started his revival with a birdie on the 10th and finished with a flurry, carding five birdies in his last six holes.

The 22-year-old said, still suffering from a virus and awaiting blood test results, said: "It's sort of taken the pressure off. I'm not 100% and there's nothing I can do about it.

"I made three silly mistakes on the front nine but stayed patient and the back nine was pretty much flawless.

"I definitely don't feel invincible, but I feel every time I tee it up I have a good chance of shooting a good score.

"It was the perfect start for me and really sets me up for the next three days. I didn't expect Luke to play the way he did."

Donald said: "I hit a few loose shots. They came out of the blue a little bit, although there were a couple of times last week when I had that left shot and I've got to keep working on it.

"I felt very much in control and then I lost it, but this course can do that to you. There are a lot of hazards in the middle of fairways, so you aim for one side and if you miss it you can be in the bushes."

Swede Hanson equalled Lee Westwood's course record to lead on eight under, with Scotland's Paul Lawrie second on seven under, one ahead of McIlroy.

Sergio Garcia, chasing a third successive European Tour win, is fourth after a 67.

World number three Westwood managed a one-over-par 73, which included a double bogey on the short 13th after he had to play his second shot left-handed from the side of a bunker.

Rory Seeks Heaven on Dubai Earth

It’s all to play for at the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World although Rory McIlroy admits it’s a tough ask to pip Luke Donald to the Race to Dubai title.

Mclroy’s impressive victory in the UBS Hong Kong Open last weekend kept the Race alive and he has to win again on Sunday if he is to have any chance of catching the World Number One, and even then Donald will still achieve the historic double of winning the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic with a top nine finish.

But while the odds are stacked against him, McIlroy is determined to give it his best shot over the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

“I’m excited,” said the World Number Two. “There's a lot to play for. I’ve still got a slim chance of trying to win The Race to Dubai, and so it's nice to just have that coming to the quick.

“I've got to win and Luke has to finish outside the top nine or ten, whatever it is. I'm really not counting on him to do that because he's only finished outside the top ten about twice this year. So it's going to be a tough ask but I'll give my best and it would be great to finish the year on a high.

“It's a golf course that I've had some success on the last couple of years with a third place and a fifth place. I just went out there this morning and the golf course looks fantastic. They have overseeded and it looks in the best shape ever.”

McIlroy’s bid may, however, be hampered by a virus he picked up recently and he went to see a doctor on arrival in the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai World Championship.

"I won't get the results back until later on this week," said the Northern Irishman. "I picked up a virus and my white blood cell count was very low, so the tests were to see if it's back up again."

It is hardly surprising. McIlroy has been virtually non-stop since late September and that has included three trips to the Far East and one to Bermuda.

"I'm not energy-wise where I want to be, but I took a day off yesterday and took it easy," he added.

"I'm going to play the pro-am today and practise and I'll probably take another day off tomorrow - maybe hit a few balls.

"I'll really try and conserve my energy and focus it all into the four tournament days.

"I'm not 100%, but I'm still able to go out and play 18 holes and try and give it my all.”

Higgins Makes it to Catalunya

David Higgins of Waterville and Limerick’s Cian McNamara produced sub-par last rounds in Spain on Monday to take a closer step to securing their European Tour cards for next year, with both playing at the Las Colinas course. 

Higgins fired a 68 and McNamara a 69 for total scores of 280 – four under par – and they finished in joint 16th spot to make it through to the final stage starting on Saturday.

However at the same course Royal Dublin’s former amateur international Niall Kearney, Aaron O’Callaghan and Brendan McCarroll all failed to make progress.

Northern Ireland’s US based Chris Devlin pulled was at El Valle and carded a four-under par 67 for a 281 aggregate for a share of 14th place, after a third-round 75 looked like it might cost him. In the end he took one of the 20 places on offer from that venue.

Mark Staunton of Castleknock missed out after a disappointing closing 73 but he may make the final if there are withdrawals. 

Former Shamrock Rovers Stephen Grant failed to build on some good work this week and joined the Asian Tour based Niall Turner on the wrong side of the cut. 

Colm Moriarty’s failure at La Manga was another disappointment for a player that has enjoyed moments of genius in recent years. But he could do no better than 290 and joint 38th place.

Neil O’Briain also lost out with a final round 76. 

Michael McGeady also missed out for another year.

The final stage starts on Saturday at PGA Catalunya in Girona with six rounds offering up only 30 European Tour cards.

But somewhere near Newcastle, in County Down, 2009 Q School qualifier Simon Thornton is no doubt enjoying some babysitting, thanking his lucky stars that his final tournament finish on the Challenge Tour last month spared him a dreaded return to Catalunya this December. A venue he has been for the past two years battling for his playing rights, with last year proving fruitless.

Indeed, on the European Tour both Damien McGrane and Gareth Maybin will no doubt be feeling the same relief.