Golf: Ross Fisher drops further shots in Dubai bid

Published on Friday 20 November 2009 10:14

ROSS FISHER failed to make the move he was looking for when the Dubai World Championship resumed today.

Needing to finish first or second to have any hope of capturing the European Tour money list title, World Match Play champion Fisher was down in 40th position after a disappointing opening round of 73.

And he dropped three further places by remaining one-over-par after nine more holes.

Two days before his 29th birthday, Fisher pulled his approach to the short fourth into a bunker and failed to get up and down.

He did then birdie the long seventh, but with fellow Englishman Robert Rock going to the turn in a four-under 32 and Frenchman Thomas Levet picking up four birdies in the first eight, Fisher knew he had to play the back nine much better.

Out in front on seven under was Australian Robert Allenby and with the leaders out last from the second round onwards, he did not resume until 12.40pm local time.

Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy, paired with Swede Johan Edfors at midday, was in a tie for fifth, but that was not good enough to make him the youngest Tour number one since Seve Ballesteros in 1976 with Lee Westwood in a tie for second.

German Martin Kaymer was the other player in the hunt. He required a top-four finish to be in with a shout of overhauling McIlroy and Westwood and, after a birdie on the long second, improved to joint 15th on two under.

Ian Poulter, who could move up to world No.5 by winning on Sunday, drove under a bush on the first – as did Fisher yesterday – and with a double-bogey six slumped to level par.

Dunbar's David Drysdale, the sole Scot in the field, was finding birdies hard to come by on the second day.

Tied for 34th after an opening 72, Drysdale had dropped down to 48th after going out in 37, one-over.

In Texas, British Women's Open champion Catriona Matthew got off to a disappointing start in the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship.

The North Berwick player shot a five-over-par 77 at The Houstonian Golf & Country Club to lie 11 shots behind Lorena Ochoa.