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By Kent Gray
You’re not alone if you’re struggling to comprehend Bryson DeChambeau’s golfing witchcraft at the 30th Omega Dubai Desert Classic this week. It seems we’re not going to get Alvaro Quiros’ far less scientific secrets either.

The 2011 champion overcame a bogey start to pour in nine birdies in a second round 64 on Friday and roar into contention at the $3.25 million European Tour event at -11, one off Lucas Herbert and Bryson DeChambeau’s halfway lead.

Quiros has enlisted the expertise of José María Olazábal to help him with a putter that finally started to cooperate in Abu Dhabi last week where the big-hitting, 6ft 3in Spaniard claimed a share of 65th place.

Whatever the two-time Masters champion has found for Quiros is clearly working as the 36-year-old closes in on what would be a seventh European Tour title but his first since the Rocco Forte Open in Sicily back in May 2017.

“I’ve been working a lot with José María, with Ollie, and with my coach, José Rivero. It looks like it’s paying off,” said Quiros who rates Rivero, a former Ryder Cupper and four-time champion on tour, as one of the biggest influences on his career.

“Last week I was putting nicely, too, so it’s probably, even with these grainy greens, it’s key.”

Sounds intriguing. Could you possibly elaborate as we all need help with the flat stick from time-to-time?

“That’s a secret that I’m going to keep for myself, sorry.”

No apology necessary, Alvaro – we probably wouldn’t share the secret sauce with our peers either. Maybe you could give us your theory on why so many great rounds begin with a lousy start?

“You can have some accidents in these bunkers. The sand is very heavy, and I find the bunker from the tee shot. The ball was completely mud, so it was unfortunately an unlucky lie. And from there on, I’ve been playing nicely, holing putts, obviously.

“I’ve also been very lucky during the round with nice lies even when I was missing the fairways. So that’s what you need obviously on this kind of golf course when you shoot nine birdies.”

Quiros is no stranger to going deep into the red at the Desert Classic and often spectacularly so. When he succeeded Miguel Angel Jiménez as champion eight editions ago, Quiros overcame a lead relinquishing triple bogey seven on the 8th with a “three quarter wedge” acing the 161-yard 11th hole en-route to a single stroke victory over South Africa’s James Kingston and Dane Anders Hansen.

Quiros thus became just the third player to win a European Tour event and record a hole-in-one in the final round. He’s also one of four players with two Desert Classic aces, joining Jiménez, Argentine José Coceres and Scot Stephen Gallacher in that rarified club after holing out on the 4th hole in the final round of the 2015 Classic where he finished T-20.

“To be honest, I still remember every single time that I tee off from that tee, “ Quiros said of his 2011 ace on 11 before adding an only half-joking caveat to one of the happiest days of his life.

“But I want to make the hole-in-one from the 7th or 15 because either one wins a prize. The two times that I make a hole-in-one here, no prize, so I’m looking for the first one with a car or a nice watch.”

Swede Kristoffer Broberg already has the Omega timepiece on his wrist after holing a seven iron on the 7th in Thursday’s opening round. Fortunately the keys to a €140,000 BMW M850i xDrive Coupe are still available for a perfect shot on the 15th.

There have only been three aces on the last of the Majlis’ four par-3s, the last of them from two-time champion Gallacher in 2012. So how about it, Alvaro, another final round ace, perhaps even on the way to a second Dallah trophy?

“Oh, that would be the top of the cake.”