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Fleetwood fights back in second round in Dubai

Dubai - The battle between Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose to finish the year as Europe's number 1 golfer took another twist on Friday in the DP World Tour Championship.

After two rounds, a familiar face topped the leaderboard in the $8 million event. Matthew Fitzpatrick, the defending champion, hit a second 67 to finish 10-under-par.

But much of the focus in the European tour's season-ending event was on the two men leading the "Race to Dubai".

Fleetwood, who struggled in the first round, shot a seven-under-par 65 in the second to make up five shots on Rose, who hit 70. Rose is tied for third, two shots ahead of Fleetwood who is in a four-way tie for 11th.

For Fitzpatrick, Friday was eerily similar to the final round last year when he won with a birdie on the 18th as Tyrrell Hatton made a bogey.

This time, Fitzpatrick sank a 25-footer on the final hole on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, while Hatton, 10-under through 17 holes, dropped a shot on the 18th from a horrible lie in the bunker to finish on nine-under par.

Rose can claim his second European end-of-season title by finishing first or solo second if Fleetwood does not win, or with a top-five showing if his younger compatriot finishes down the leaderboard.

Fleetwood leads the race by 256 737 points.

"It's all about how you react to stuff, isn't it?" Fleetwood said after a birdie finish. "Yesterday, I was really unhappy with how I reacted early on. Got off to a bad start and got back into it and I didn't really play great.

"I was on the putting green till dark last night. Today was just a much better day. And I am happy I still have things in my hand instead of being way back."

Rose, who played another solid round with four birdies in increasingly difficult conditions, was disappointed with his three-putt bogey on the 18th.

"Slightly frustrating round," Rose said. "There were probably a lot of chances I could have taken. But at the same time, it's a good mark. It's a good, solid effort after yesterday and puts me in great position for the weekend."

The only other player in contention, Masters champion Sergio Garcia, added a 69 to his opening-round 70 and is one shot behind Fleetwood.

Rookie Julian Suri (68) of the USA and Kiradech Aphibarnrat (67) of Thailand were in tied third place at eight-under par 136 alongside Rose.

Second-round scores from the European Tour's season-ending DP World Tour Championship on Friday at the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estates (par 72, GBR/IRL unless stated):

134 - Matthew Fitzpatrick 67-67

135 - Tyrrell Hatton 72-63

136 - Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 69-67, Julian Suri (USA) 68-68, Justin Rose 66-70

137 - Jon Rahm (ESP) 69-68, Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 68-69, Paul Dunne 67-70, Scott Hend (AUS) 66-71, Patrick Reed (USA) 65-72

138 - Tommy Fleetwood 73-65, Dean Burmester (RSA) 70-68, Ryan Fox (NZL) 67-71, Alexander Bjork (SWE) 67-71

139 - Ross Fisher 71-68, Peter Uihlein (USA) 71-68, Dylan Frittelli (RSA) 71-68, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 70-69, Ian Poulter (ENG) 70-69, Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 69-70, Shane Lowry 69-70

140 - Adrian Otaegui (ESP) 71-69, Haydn Porteous (RSA) 70-70, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 69-71, Martin Kaymer (GER) 68-72

141 - Li Haotong (CHN) 72-69, Callum Shinkwin 72-69, Matthieu Pavon (FRA) 71-70, Wang Jeunghun (KOR) 71-70

142 - Jordan Smith 75-67, Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 75-67, Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 74-68, Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP) 73-69, Richard Sterne (RSA) 71-71, Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) 70-72, David Lipsky (USA) 70-72, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 70-72, Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 67-75

143 - Alex Noren (SWE) 74-69, Joost Luiten (NED) 73-70, Branden Grace (RSA) 72-71, Alexander Levy (FRA) 67-76

144 - Richie Ramsay 72-72, Chris Wood 70-74, Paul Waring 70-74, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 68-76, Andy Sullivan 68-76, David Horsey 68-76

145 - Eddie Pepperell 75-70, David Drysdale 73-72

146 - George Coetzee (RSA) 70-76

147 - Scott Jamieson 76-71, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 71-76, Andrew Dodt (AUS) 70-77

148 - Lee Westwood 75-73, Thomas Pieters (BEL) 74-74, Marc Warren 72-76

149 - Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN) 75-74

150 - Graeme Storm 76-74, Hideto Tanihara (JPN) 73-77

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