By John Tully-Jackson
On a leaderboard chockablock with big names, the presence of Andy Sullivan was a welcome sight.

The Englishman endured a lean 2017 with just two top-10s the highlight, and those were eighth and ninth places. But a best-of-day 63 Saturday has the 2016 Ryder Cupper right back where he belongs on the front page of the leaderboard at the 29th Omega Dubai Desert Classic. It won’t have gone unnoticed by European captain Thomas Bjorn.

“I think, weirdly enough, the first few days I played just as good. Just got the putter going today. Holed a lot of footage, which is always helpful on the way to 63.

“It feels like it’s been coming for the first three weeks, really. I’ve come out of the gates — felt like I’ve come out of the gates, and my game is in good shape and just not quite put the finishing touches to it. It’s nice to be the business end of a tournament.”

While last season was not the best Sullivan has enjoyed – that came in 2015 when he won all three of his European Tour titles – he feels he’s put in the necessary preparation to get back to his best golf. The world No.145 finished T-53 in Abu Dhabi last week but there’s been a marked improvement in his scoring this week after he closed with 73-76 on The National.

“Yeah, I’ve worked very hard. With seven weeks off from DP World to the start of the year, really put in some time in the gym and effort on the golf course, as well. Really trying to work hard. I want to get back to my best.

“Obviously it’s Ryder Cup year, and when you’ve played in one of them, you don’t want to miss another one. It’s important for me to get back to where I belong and get back on the leaderboard and try to pick up some of these tournaments.”

So far so good in his bid for Paris. He has pedigree at Emirates G.C, finishing T-4 in 2015 before a share of second a year later. It also helps that his putter has started to heat up. With the Majlis’ greens as pure as the driven snow, anything is possible in his final round.

“I know it’s somewhere where I adore coming to. I seem to play pretty well here, and the golf course really does suit my eye. It’s been great…just felt like the putter got hot. With me it’s generally the same way, if the putter gets hot, once one goes in, they all seem to follow.

“It was nice just to go out there and feel back to the old me again, and hopefully go out there and do the same again tomorrow.”