Matt Wallace holds a one-shot lead at the halfway stage in the DP World Tour Championship and it is all to play for in the battle for the Race to Dubai title after Francesco Molinari struggled on Friday.
Wallace has won three European Tour titles in a magnificent season and could add another in Dubai this weekend after hitting the front with a blemish-free seven-under second round of 65.
The Englishman made four birdies on the front nine to go out in 32 and picked up another three shots to move to 11-under at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Danny Willett, Adrian Otaegui and Jordan Smith are hot on Wallace's heels, just a stroke behind the leader.
Willett came close to joining his compatriot when he almost eagled the 18th, but had to settle for a seventh birdie of the day and back-to-back rounds of 67.
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Smith and Otaegui were joint-leaders after the first round and both carded 68s to stay firmly in contention, with Patrick Reed a further shot back following an impressive six-under 66.
Tommy Fleetwood needs to win on Sunday to have any chance of being crowned European number one for the second successive year and set up an intriguing weekend by shooting a five-under 67 to sit three shots off the lead.
Molinari only has to finish in a share of fifth spot or above to dethrone his close friend, but the Open champion dropped to three-under with a one-over 73 following three bogeys in his last six holes. Rory McIlroy, Dean Burmester and Kiradech Aphibarnrat are well poised alongside Fleetwood on eight-under.
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