Jimenez overhauls Els

Ernie Els kept a bogey off his card for the second round running, but was overtaken by Miguel Angel Jimenez at the Dubai Desert Classic today.

While the South African added a 68 to his opening 66 to stand 10 under par at halfway Jimenez produced a superb eight birdies to move into top spot.

Even with a closing bogey the 41-year-old from Malaga had a 65 and will resume tomorrow on the 12 under total of 132.

Fourth on last season’s Order of Merit and one of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes, Jimenez added the Hong Kong Open in December and shows no sign of letting up.

“I am like the good wines, you know,” he said in his broken English. “With the age, getting better. It’s very difficult to imagine another season like the last one (he won five times in 2004), but I’m playing well and feeling nice on the course.

“Probably it’s the mentality. You have to live the moment and enjoy yourself and not be upset. I hope to keep the feeling for many years.”

After a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th he rolled in a 30-footer at the 16th and two-putted the long 18th to turn in a five under 32.

Els, playing two groups behind, caught him with birdies at the second and third, but away went Jimenez again, picking up further shots on the fifth, seventh – a chip-in there – and eighth before he drove into rough down the 463-yard ninth and could not make the green.

He and Els are the only two members of the world’s top 25 taking part and looked the part.

World number three Els birdied all but one of the par fives, missing out only on the 549-yard 10th – his first – when he pushed his second and then left his chip short.

For a while they left the rest of the field trailing in their wake, but then Welshman Stephen Dodd, winner of the China Open in November, had eight birdies himself to move into third spot on nine under. He too returned a 65.

Playing with Jimenez, Lee Westwood broke his driver after only three holes, but luckily had brought a spare with him and it was brought to him only a hole later.

The Worksop golfer eagled the 18th with it, needing only a six-iron for his second and hitting it to seven feet, but as well as five birdies he had three bogeys for a 68 and six under aggregate.

Westwood, suffering from a cold, said: “We hit it quite hard nowadays and that’s the third or fourth time I’ve broken one. You just have to accept it. You can’t afford to make bogeys in this tournament – it’s a birdie-fest. The fairways are too wide for my liking.”

He had an extra reason for being glad he had made the halfway cut. There is a race meeting in Dubai tomorrow and his horses Right Approach and Emerald Beauty are both running.

Colin Montgomerie, round in a two under 70 yesterday, was among the day’s later starters, as were defending champion Mark O’Meara and new Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam – facing battles to survive the cut at one over and two over respectively.

Montgomerie birdied the second and third to improve to four under, but none of the afternoon starters was threatening leading pair Jimenez and Els.

Ireland's Paul McGinley finished his round tied in 27th place at three under, with Damien McGrane a shot further back on five holes. Peter Lawrie has finished at three over while Gary Murphy is on par on 12 holes.