Halfway leader Antoine Rozner vows to ‘stay aggressive’ at Dubai Championship
Defending champion Antoine Rozner vowed to maintain his aggressive approach after claiming a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the AVIV Dubai Championship.
Rozner, who has not dropped a shot over the first two days, birdied six of his last eight holes to add a second round of 64 to his opening 65 and reach 15 under par, a shot ahead of JB Hansen and Francesco Laporta.
Finland’s Kalle Samooja is a shot further back, with the English pair of Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Waring three off the lead on 12 under.
-7 for his last nine holes @KalleSamooja ✍️@Workday #AvivDubaiChampionship
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 12, 2021
Rozner, who shot 25 under on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates to win his maiden European Tour title last year, said: “I think I was playing really well, even on the front nine, but a few putts didn’t drop.
“I just kept putting myself in good positions hole after hole and a few putts dropped on the back nine which was great. It was definitely one of my best ball-striking rounds out here.
“My long game was perfect, I was striping it shot after shot. I missed one green on 17 and that was the only hole I put myself in trouble but I got away with it with a good par.
“Stay aggressive is the mindset, you have be aggressive over and over. I did that really well last year, obviously I can use that experience from last year and that’s helping me.
“Last year I was so aggressive over four rounds and I think it’s paying off this week so if I keep doing what I’m doing over the next two days, hopefully there will be a good result in there.”
Fleetwood was one over par after six holes but played the last 12 in seven under to card a second consecutive 66 as he bids to become the fourth member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team – after Matt Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland – to win a tournament since the record defeat at Whistling Straits.
“It was a poor start,” Fleetwood said. “I missed a chance on the first and then missed a short putt (on the second). On such a low-scoring course if you have a dry patch it feels so much worse.
The sawn-off follow through @TommyFleetwood1 👌#AvivDubaiChampionship pic.twitter.com/Fj0gGe5CIl
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 12, 2021
“I holed a putt on seven and played really, really well coming in and had plenty of chances. I felt like I did a good job of continuing to play and hitting good golf shots.
“I didn’t get panicked or frustrated that I hadn’t had the start I would like and then it all came together, which doesn’t always happen. But it did and it was another good day.”