Willett's low puts him on top

Dubai - Els falters as Rory conjures another Houdini act

It didn't quite go according to the script for World No.2 Rory McIlroy and Ernie Els, the only man to have won the 'Teapot' thrice.
As defending champion McIlroy and Els battled the conditions with the former repeating another Houdini act and the latter fading away with a round of two over, which saw the South African freefall 26 spots from tied second to tied 28th, Englishman Danny Willett played almost flawless golf to tame the Majlis Course of the Emirates Golf Club on Saturday.
The Yorkshireman followed up his 65 on Friday with another seven-under on the day to nudge ahead and take sole ownership of the leaderboard at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
The 28-year-old Willett racked up six birdies and an eagle, with one bogey being the only blip. That left Willett on 16-under overall and in prime position to go on and win it on Sunday.
But it isn't going to be easy with a host of players breathing down his throat, more importantly Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Willett's countryman Andy Sullivan, with just a shot separating the three. Willett swapped places with overnight leader Cabrera-Bello but the latter, champion here in 2012, is just a shot away on 15-under.
The 31-year-old Cabrera-Bello had five birdies, an eagle and two bogeys in his round of 67 for five-under on the day. He could have ended the day tied for the lead with Willett but agonisingly missed a birdie putt on the par-five 18th and had to settle for par.
That saw Cabrera-Bello sandwiched between the two Englishmen Willett and Sullivan.
Sullivan conjured a blemish free round of six-under to move two spots up to third on the leaderboard. The 28-year-old put himself in contention with an overall 14-under. As the three jostled for position with The Netherlands' Joost Luiten and South African Haydn Porteous during the day, defending champion McIlroy had to front up again to a troublesome front nine.
But he managed a Houdini act yet again to come away with a four under for the day for a total of eight-under, eight behind the leader Willett.
McIlroy was tied 21st and though a eight-shot deficit looks a long shot, he believed it is not out of the realms of possibility.
Coming back to Willett, the Omega European Masters winner had a bright start with birdies on the first and third after which he scored back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth. Willett's return sojourn began in similar fashion with a birdie on the par-5 10th. But he bogeyed the par-4 12th which put things back a bit. Willett though responded with a brilliant eagle on the par-5 13th to come back on track before wrapping up his round with a birdie on the par-4 17th.
Meanwhile, Cabrera-Bello began the day with an eagle on the par-5 third and a birdie on the fourth but went on to bogey the par-3 seventh. The Spanish ace finished the front nine with a birdie on the ninth. He began with a birdie on the back nine before another bogey on the par-4 12th put a blot. But then, Cabrera-Bello birdied the 14th and 17th to sign off his round.
Elsewhere, nothing went right for Els on the day. Even though he had a birdie on the third, three bogeys on the trot from the fourth to sixth as well as a double bogey on the seventh ruined his round and any hopes he had of remaining at the top. The South African salvaged it a bit with consecutive birdies on the eighth and ninth but the damage was already done. He birdied the 10th before bogeying the 13th.
With it tightly bunched up at the top, a frantic fight to the finish lay in store on the morrow.
james@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai Desert Classic 2018