DUBAI: Alex Noren’s hopes of reining in fellow Swede Henrik Stenson at the top the European money-list were dulled by two bogeys in the last four holes on the second day of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Friday.

In-form Noren had earlier birdied holes one, seven, eight and 10 to propel himself up the leaderboard towards the top-two finish he needs to have a chance of usurping his compatriot as top earner.

Noren fell to four-under overall, five shots off the halfway lead shared by Sergio Garcia and Francesco Molinari, with overnight leader Lee Westwood a further shot behind.

Stenson rallied from a level-par first day to match Noren’s three-under-par round, although the money-list leader had to contend with more crowd interaction than he would have expected — a wayward tee-shot at 13 struck a spectator, while his ball was handled by another at hole two.

World number two Rory McIlroy rebounded with a four-under-par round on Friday to sit eight shots off the lead.

Sharing the halfway lead are Spaniard Garcia and Italy’s Molinari, who each fired six birdies and a bogey on their way to rounds of 67.

The former might have claimed top spot for himself, but for a birdie putt on the final green which came up agonisingly short.

Instead, both will be ruing one lapse in concentration: Molinari missing a short par putt on 10, while Garcia planted his 12th tee shot into the trees.

Another left to ponder one moment of madness was England’s Westwood, who was level with the leading duo coming into the final hole but bogeyed after finding the water with his approach shot.

Four players are two shots behind the leaders on seven-under, including England’s Tyrrell Hatton — who carded eight birdies and two bogeys on Friday — and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger, who tore up the end of the course with a birdie and two eagles on the final five holes.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2016