Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson rode his luck on the final hole as an eagle gave him a one-shot lead at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
It looked for most of the day that Daniel Hillier’s 11-under-par halfway total would be enough to lead going into the weekend at Emirates Golf Club.
However, Ferguson chipped in on the eighth as he turned in 32 then birdied the long tenth from close range.
Six straight pars looked to have derailed his chances of leading outright, but he holed a 30-footer at the 17th to get within one then saw his second to the par-five last clatter off the stand behind the green and bounce back to five feet, with the subsequent eagle giving him a 65 and 12-under halfway total.
“I think I played well,” said Ferguson. “I just stuck to my game plan.
“I didn’t try and overpower the course like I had tried to last year. It’s just not my game. I hit seven-wood on some of the shorter holes that are tight and gave myself chances.
“Last year I felt like I tried to almost drive it on the greens, I don’t hit it as far as someone like Rory (McIlroy) and I had an awkward 30-yarder from the heavy rough but this time had a good strategy and felt good support out there so far. Yeah, 65 sounds nice.
“The front nine is so tough and I was actually really nervous starting the day. Five under yesterday, but one, two, three holes, some of the holes are so difficult. So I was really nervous at the start to try to get off to a good start. A golfer’s mind can get away from you sometimes and all of a sudden it feels like a different game. So when I got off to a good start, birdieing the first, I felt calmer after that.”
On his exploits on the 18th, Ferguson added: “I thought, you know, what I’m just going to go to the back and even if I have to go in the drop zone, I’m just going to splash it out. If I had a 15-footer on the last, I would have been fine with that. Still would have made that for a good day, but a wee bit of luck goes a long way.
“Yeah, 36 holes played, leading so far is great. It’s nice to be doing well, and as big as this is, some of the players that are playing, it’s really, really cool, and I’m proud of myself.”
New Zealand’s Hillier had also eagled the 18th, albeit in more orthodox fashion from 15 feet, in a flawless round of 65.
The pair are well clear of the chasing pack, with South African Shaun Norris, Australia’s Jason Scrivener and English pair Laurie Canter and Tyrrell Hatton tied for third on eight under.
“Two very different days of golf,” said Hillier. “I think day one, striped it off the tee and gave myself a lot of chances. Just a solid round of golf. Today a few extra putts went in than I was expecting. Yeah, it’s nice to see those drop and hopefully they keep dropping.
“The wind was slightly different. So there were a couple of holes that played slightly different. But overall, it’s playable at the moment. It’s not as firm and fast as it can be but I’m sure over the weekend, it will get pretty fie
ry. It will be a good test.”