Luke Donald, Marc Warren & Rory McIlroy Are Tied for Lead in Dubai

By Fred Altvater on November 24, 2012

The final event of the year on the European Tour is taking place this weekend in Dubai at the DP World Golf Championship.

Luke Donald, Marc Warren and Rory McIlroy are tied for the lead after two rounds at 11-under par.  

Warren has been a member of the European Tour for six seasons. He has two career wins and has won nearly €3 million. He had three top-10 finishes in 2012 and came into Dubai at No. 55 in the Race to Dubai.  

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy missed his the cut last week in Hong Kong but wrapped up the Race to Dubai title with his third-place finish in Singapore two weeks ago. He is the second person to ever win the money titles on both the European and PGA Tours in the same season.

2011 PGA Tour money leader and Race to Dubai winner, Luke Donald is also tied with Warren and McIlroy for the lead. Donald fired 65-68 over his first two rounds. He became the first golfer to win the money titles on both the PGA and European Tours last year.

A trio of South Africans are right behind the leaders. Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen are one back at 10-under par.  Charl Schwartzel is two behind at nine-under par.

 Grace has had a sensational rookie year with four European Tour wins.  He is No. 6 on the Race to Dubai and has moved up to No. 38 in the world.

Louis Oosthuizen won the 2010 Open Championship and lost the 2012 Masters in a playoff to Bubba Watson.  Charl Schwartzel won the 2011 Masters by making four consecutive birdies on the final four holes at Augusta National on Sunday.

With four former major winners in the top-six spots in the DP World Golf Championship it promises to be a fantastic finish to the year to the European Tour season.