Andrew Redington/Getty Images

By Kent Gray
The Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates has masqueraded as an aviary during the first half of the new Golf in Dubai Championship.

Birdies and better have abounded in the opening two rounds with leader Andy Sullivan getting to within a whisker of matching the European Tour’s 36-hole (to par) scoring record, -18 set by Ernie Els at the 2004 Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne.

With no significant course or climatic changes forecast for Friday at least, there can be no backing off on moving day but it’s patience, rather than panic, that was the over-riding theme from Sullivan after the second round.   

“We spoke about it to my psychologist before I went out, it’s basically just about staying patient and give yourself as many chances as possible,” Sullivan said after backing up his course record 61 with a 66 on Thursday to get it to -17 and establish a three-stroke lead over English compatriots Ross Fisher and Matt Wallace.

“It is hard, I really had to work hard at staying patient, when I was three-under through nine it didn’t feel as good as yesterday. But you know you’re still on the right track. I knew I was swinging it well and if I could keep giving myself opportunities I could make a few coming in. If you’d told me I’d shoot 61-66 I’d have snapped your hand off.”

Sullivan apologised for the cliché in preface to a comment about sticking to his processes as he debriefed his round. His only blemish in the second round was a three-putt bogey on the 3rd when he rushed a long birdie putt by but there were five birdies and eagle three on 7 to more than make on that rush of blood.

A brilliant birdie on the 17th – check out the sound of the iron strike in the Tweet below – gave the 34-year-old a shot at Els’ record but a testy birdie putt burnt the left edge.

“I feel like I’ve got the golf ball under some sort of control at the moment,” Sullivan said.

“I know what shapes I can hit and how much I can move it. It just feels really comfortable out there off the tee and into the greens, it feels like there aren’t many pins I can’t get at, which is a nice feeling to have. It didn’t happen too often in the season, so it’s nice to have that.”

Sullivan, Wallace and Fisher are last off the 1st tee at 10.05 am (GST) on Friday.