Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre pulled-off his ‘up-and-down’ of the at the last on day two of the DP World Tour Championship to keep alive an invitation to next April’s Masters.
The official World Rankings body released its ‘Week 50’ projections just ahead MacIntyre posting a clearly frustrating second round level par 72 to drop 10 spots into a share of 12th at four-under par on the Earth course at Jumeirah Estates.
The Oban lefty now needs to pick-up at least eight spots over the closing 36-holes and finish no worse than fourth in Dubai to secure an Augusta National tee-time.
Patrick Reed stamped his enormous class birdieing three of his closing four holes in a ‘best-of-the-day’ 64 and moved two shots clear at 10-under par from England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick (68) and winner of the event in 2016.
The former Masters winning Reed has just dropped one shot over the two days at the 12th hole on day two and with the 30-year-old Texan back in pole position to become the first American in the near 50-year history of the Tour to be crowned European No. 1.
Patrick Reed shows his class to move two clear of the field in Dubai
Reed said: “Anytime you shoot eight-under par you’re always happy.
“I feel like today I got off to a little better start than I did yesterday and the putter was working a little bit.
“Yesterday I felt like I did a lot of things pretty well, just putts weren’t really falling, was kind of burning a couple edges, a couple iron shots weren’t as close as they needed to be, and today I tightened it up.”
In contrast, it was a mostly disappointing day for MacIntyre.
MacIntyre got out of goal early in his round saving par on his opening two holes before his first real chance for birdie at the third but staring in disbelief when his putt lipped-out.
He was then 139-yards out at the par-4 fifth hole but turned away also in disappointment when his second shot landed left of the flag and resulting in a fifth straight par.
MacIntyre produced four other outward nine pars to make it 16 pars in succession after having also pared his closing seven holes on day one.
The Oban lefty then made it 19 pars in a row before he dropped a shot at the par-3 13th ahead of a long overdue first birdie in holing a five-footer at the par-4 15th hole to move back to four-under par.
Though the young Scot was then looking to the heavens after leaving a 23-foot putt for birdie just inches from the cup at 17 ahead, more anxiety when his tee shot up the last stopped feet from finding a water hazard and then in more trouble with his second that was lucky to stay in bounds.
MacIntyre’s third shot ended-up close to a corporate enclosure and after much discussion with a rules official, he took a ‘free drop’ to land his fourth shot some six-feet from the hole and much to his delight he holed his par-saving par.
MacIntyre headed to the scorer’s hut with the biggest smile on his face all day and declared his closing two shots to be the up-and-down of his year.
UP-AND-DOWN OF THE YEAR …. Declares @robert1lefty @bouncespmgt @GlencruittenG after saving par at the last 👏💪
Top-ranked @OWGRltd 🏴 posts second round 7⃣2⃣ to be sharing 10th spot @dpwtc #RacetoDubai @JGEGolf @visitdubai 😃
Read – https://t.co/o5rzMRTqZ1 pic.twitter.com/X2fv6pxUjx
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) December 11, 2020
He said: “I pushed my drive that was almost in the water on the left-side of the fairway then I’m mishit my second finding sand up the left, and then had nowhere to hit my third and it looked for a second it was heading out-of-bounds, so it was to the drop zone and I’ve hit one of the best pitch shots I’ve hit the last year to six-feet and managed to knock it in.
“Overall, I actually played better than yesterday. I drove the ball really well today. I was never really out of position.
“I didn’t hit my iron shots as close as I would have liked, hence there weren’t many birdies but I’m delighted with the way I fought there at the end.
“That was a battle on 18, I think. I’ve seen every part of that 18th hole over the last two days (smiling).
“Now I’ve just got to hope for better the next two days”.
Scott Jamieson superbly birdied four of his opening six holes but played his next dozen holes in two-over after back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13 in a round of 70 to be just outside the top-30 on level par.
Also at level par is Glaswegian Marc Warren with a pair of 72s.
Drumoig’s Connor Syme was one-under par playing the last, and after a birdie on 17, but then found the water heading up the last in ending with a double-bogey in a second straight 73.
Haddington’s Grant Forrest slipped to five-over adding a 74 to his opening 75 in a round that did include three birdies but also just as many bogeys and a ninth hole double.
