Cameron Young opens up three-shot lead at Dubai Desert Classic

Cameron Young opened up a three-shot lead on his nearest challengers after Round 2 of the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.

The American added a second round of 64 to his opening 67 at Emirates Golf Club to reach 13 under par, with England’s Andy Sullivan and Poland’s Adrian Meronk his nearest challengers on 10 under.

Young, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour, carded nine birdies and a solitary bogey on the ninth, his final hole of the day, after finding the water left of the green with his approach.

“I putted fantastic,” the world No 25 said. “I made a couple of long ones yesterday and then made a few more today that had no right going in I feel like.

“I hit a bunch of good putts, but just one of those days where you kind of have a couple of 30-footers and you look up and they are going right in the middle, which doesn’t happen all that often to have a bunch of them in one round.

“I’m doing a really good job of staying out of my own way. Kind of realised it was going well early, but the back nine, at the same time, it feels like you should do that to some extent, especially in the morning with not much wind.”

Meronk, recently crowned the European tour’s player of 2023, carded a 66 to improve on his opening round by two shots. “The experience [of winning] gives you a little more confidence that you’ve done it before, so you can do it again,” the Pole said.

How it stands at the halfway stage