Tommy Fleetwood continued his strong season with an eight-under 64 to take a one-shot lead at the midway point at the DP World India Championship on Friday as Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy fought to stay in the tournament.
Over the past two months, Fleetwood won his first PGA Tour title at the Tour Championship, earning $10 million as FedEx Cup champion in the process and becoming Team Europe’s leading scorer at the Ryder Cup.
The British player, who has now risen to fifth in the world rankings, made eight birdies in a bogey-free second round to move to 12 under par for the week and lead what is perhaps the most prestigious golf tournament ever held in India.
Fleetwood’s final birdie, from 8 feet on the final nine, separated him from former British champions Shane Lawrie, 69, and Brian Harman, 65, who were tied for second.
“If I play with Shane over the next two days, he’s probably going to do the right thing,” said Fleetwood, who credited his post-round practice after shooting an opening 68. “I played better than yesterday. I wasn’t happy with the way I hit it towards the end yesterday, so I hit a few balls after that, but I felt like my swing was in a better spot today.”
Three strokes back, American rookie Ben Griffin, who played in the Ryder Cup, tied for seventh place at 8 under.
McIlroy suffered back-to-back bogeys early in the back nine, but fought back with birdies on four of the final six holes to post his second consecutive 69. He was 6 under par, tied with fellow European team member Viktor Hovland (67).
At the tree-lined Delhi Golf Club, McIlroy, who is ranked second in the rankings, took off his cap as he exited from No. 18 and shook hands with the tournament’s special guest, Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, at the back of the green.
The two previously faced off at the 2023 DP World Tour Championship, with McIlroy telling Tendulkar that he was “looking forward to spending time together.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.