The old pals’ act continued to reap dividends for Ryder Cup team-mates Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood in the DP World India Championship in Delhi. The pair were separated by just one shot through 36 holes of the tournament on a course which provides a unique examination – with many players choosing to leave the driver out of the bag – on the urban parkland setting.
Lowry may have slipped out of the solo lead he held after the first round but a second-round 69 for 11-under-par 133 left the Offalyman in the thick of the hunt, just one stroke behind midway leader Fleetwood.
“I got off to a bit of a slowish start. Not much happened on the front nine [having started on the 10th], and then I made a stupid bogey on the par-5 [18th] from the middle of the fairway,“ said Lowry.
“[So] Quite frustrated around the turn. But I felt like I finished well, and I played some nice golf on the way in. The course is there for the taking if you hit good shots, but if you hit it offline it’s very, very tricky. I’m happy with my two days’ work,” he added.
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Fleetwood – who won the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup ahead of playing a pivotal role alongside Lowry in the Ryder Cup – was paired with Lowry and Europe captain Luke Donald for the first two rounds in India where they lived up to their headline act along with Rory McIlroy, who shot a second successive 69 for 138 to lie in tied-17th going into the weekend.
“Unbelievable threeball,” said Fleetwood. “I think because you’re so comfortable with each other, you do your own thing. It’s always like a bonus when you’re with two guys that you’re really close with. Shane actually told me about the draw and I was really pleased. It has been a great two days. I feel like if I’m playing with Shane for the next two days, I’ll be doing something right probably.”
Fleetwood started four adrift of Lowry but had five birdies on his front nine to play catchup, and then had a further three birdies on his homeward run for a 64 to move into the solo lead, one clear of Lowry and American Brian Harman.
Speaking about the test Delhi Golf Club is providing so far this week, Fleetwood added: “It’s just such a unique challenge for all of us. I haven’t hit more than a 5-wood. The one hole where I’d hit more is 18, but you get to that and you’re like, ‘well, I haven’t hit one, and I don’t really feel that comfortable with it’.
“It’s been very, very enjoyable. It’s a test of patience when you’re not quite on it because it’s one of those courses, you get a few of them where you feel if you hit it good off the tee you’re going to have some short irons and wedges and feel like you’ve always got a chance of going on a run. It’s such a waiting game. You’ve got to be very patient. It’s been a great test.”
McIlroy – who was met by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on leaving the closing hole – posted a 69 that featured six birdies and three bogeys and stuck to the strategy of not using driver.
Six behind Fleetwood, the plan remained to stick to his original approach: “I think if I’m struggling to hit fairways with my 2-iron, I’m not going to hit it with my driver,” admitted McIlroy. “So, same strategy. Just have to hit it a little closer with my second shots and not miss as many putts. If I can just sort of sharpen everything up a little bit and give myself a few more birdie looks over the weekend, maybe I’ll be able to claw my way back closer to the leaders.”
Unfortunately for Conor Purcell, a second round 69 for 143 was not sufficient to salvage the damage of an opening round 74 as the Dubliner missed the cut by one stroke.
