By Kent Gray
There’s an old adage that warns rivals to “beware the sick/injured golfer“. For survivors of the Omega Dubai Ladies Classic’s 36-hole cut, beware the tired/grumpy Georgia Hall might be more pertinent advice this weekend.

The newly crowned European No.1 overcome an almost complete lack of sleep to fire a second round 67 and soar 12 places up the leaderboard into a three-way share of third place.

It edged the 21-year-old Englishwomen to within three shots of halfway leader Anne Van Dam and ever closer to that Ladies European Tour title she’s overdue after seven top 10s this season. Mind you, Hall will do well not to sleep walk her way through the weekend much less challenge. She’s suffering from bad jetlag after a 13.5 hour flight from Florida and a late arrival into Dubai which has seriously messed up her body clock.

“I got two hours. Woke up at like midnight and didn’t get back to sleep,” said Hall of her far from ideal pre-round prep. “I wasn’t in the best of moods today. I’m quite tired. But I played well, so maybe I should do that more often.”

Fortunately the sleepless nights haven’t dulled Hall’s delight at securing an LPGA Tour card for 2018 in Florida.

Before realising her girlhood dream in the U.S. next year she’d love to cap her career year – which has included Solheim Cup selection, a share of third at the British Open and a top-10 at the Evian Championship to take an unassailable LET order of merit lead into this week  – with a victory at Emirates G.C.  She’s certainly trending nicely after finishing runner-up to Aditi Ashok at Saadiyat Beach last month before her Florida success.

A drained 30-foot birdie putt on her final hole, the par 4 9th, also improved her disposition.

“I did putt well today, and I wanted to take advantage of the morning round because the greens were in better condition and less wind, so I’m glad I did.

“Front nine, just nothing was going in. It’s quite frustrating for me but I kind of stayed patient and managed to shoot a good score.” Hall is off at 11.43am in the final threesome today with Anne Van Dam and Kelsey MacDonald.