Flawless Fleetwood leads as McIlroy rallies

DP World India Championship – second round

-12 T Fleetwood (Eng); -11 S Lowry (Ire), B Harman (US); -10 K Nakajima (Jpn) -9 B Robinson-Thompson (Eng), J Luiten (Ned)

Selected others: -8 A Fitzpatrick (Eng); -7 B Griffin (US), A Sullivan (Eng); -6 R McIlroy (NI), V Hovland (Nor); -5 L Donald (Eng)

Tommy Fleetwood fired a superb eight-under round of 64 to take the halfway lead at the DP World India Championship, while Rory McIlroy finished strongly to stay in touch.

England’s Fleetwood carded eight birdies in a bogey-free round to lead former Open champions Shane Lowry and Brian Harman by a shot at Delhi Golf Club.

Overnight leader Lowry – playing with European Ryder Cup team-mate Fleetwood – made four birdies and a bogey in a 69 while Harman carded a 65 to surge up the leaderboard.

World number five Fleetwood is chasing his eighth DP World Tour title after claiming the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup in August.

“I hit it in the fairway a lot and gave myself some chances with irons,” said Fleetwood.

While Fleetwood enjoyed serene progress on Friday, McIlroy was 10 shots adrift after mixing two birdies with three bogeys over the first 12 holes.

But the world number two picked up four shots in his last six holes to post his second successive 69 and join Ryder Cup team-mate Viktor Hovland on six under.

US Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin – playing with McIlroy and Hovland – recovered from a slow start to card his second straight 68 and sit four shots off Fleetwood.