US Open champion Rory McIlroy and Danish veteran Thomas Bjorn sunk late birdies to set the pace at the Dubai Desert Classic Friday, with the pair 13-under after the second round. Behind them lurked Martin Kaymer – who claimed his first ever hole in one – and a resurgent Lee Westwood as golf's top guns excelled on another windless day on Dubai's Majlis course. McIlroy, Westwood and Kaymer are ranked two, three and four in the world, with only No. 1 Luke Donald absent from the Dubai leaderboard. “This was very stress-free golf – fairways most of the time, a lot of greens and giving myself a lot of looks, so I'm really pleased with how I played today,” McIlroy, 22, told reporters. Yet the Northern Irishman may rue several missed long birdie chances as his putting often failed to match his stellar approach play. “It could have been better, I missed a putt on the 18th for an eagle, I missed a putt on the first for a birdie that was pretty short,” said McIlroy. “I hit a couple of really good putts on the back nine which could have dropped.” Germany's Kaymer, on 11-under, said he would not be satisfied with a leaderboard finish. “The only thing that matters is the trophy – to leave the golf course on Sunday afternoon knowing that you have beaten everyone,” the 2010 US PGA champion said. Overnight leader Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who shot 63 in the first round, ended Friday at 12-under as the Spaniard belied his lowly world ranking of 119. Johnson, Wi, Lee share lead A pair of eagles lifted New Zealander Danny Lee into a tie for the first-round lead at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Thursday as Tiger Woods made an encouraging start. Lee fired a flawless nine-under-par 63 at Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of three venues being used this week, to end a glorious day of unbroken sunshine level with American Dustin Johnson and South Korean Charlie Wi. Big-hitting Johnson, champion here in 2009 and 2010, matched Lee with a pair of eagles in a 63 at Pebble Beach, while Wi also had an eagle in his nine-under 61 at Monterey Peninsula, the easiest of the three layouts. Woods made a solid start in his first appearance on the US circuit this year, firing a six-birdie 68 at Spyglass Hill, the most difficult of the three courses. Lee, who at 18 became the youngest player to win a European Tour event with victory in the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic, eagled the 11th and second on his way to a share of the lead. He then covered his final nine holes in five-under 31 to join Wi and Johnson in early control of the pro-am celebrity event. “I had some good breaks,” Lee, 21, told reporters of his two eagles. World No. 10 Johnson, the highest-ranked player in the field, was delighted to be back at a venue where he has thrived in the past. “Today I would have liked any golf course, I played well,” Johnson said. American Ken Duke covered the back nine in a record eight-under 28 at Pebble Beach to complete a 64, finishing alongside PGA Tour rookie Brian Harman, who also started out at Pebble Beach.
