Sergio Garcia and Francesco Molinari set the pace in World Tour Championship in Dubai

Shooting five-under-par 67s and sitting nine under, they head Lee Westwood by one stroke at the halfway stage of the season ender; Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson stays in touch at three under

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Sergio Garcia of Spain tees off at the 16th hole during the second round of the World Tour Championship in Dubai. Garcia and Francesco Molinari share a one-stroke lead at the halfway mark. Photo: AP

Published: 11:20pm, 18 Nov 2016Updated: 11:20pm, 18 Nov 2016

Sergio Garcia and Francesco Molinari share a one-stroke lead halfway through the World Tour Championship in Dubai after shooting 5-under-par 67s on Friday.

They each made six birdies and a solitary bogey, and moved to 9-under 135 totals, one better than overnight leader Lee Westwood.

Westwood carded a 70, dropping a shot on the final hole after hitting his second shot into the water.

Fellow Englishman Tyrrell Hatton (66), Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger (67), South African Charl Schwartzel (67) and Dutchman Joost Luiten (69) were tied for fourth at 7 under in the season-ending championship of the European Tour.

Francesco Molinari hits out of a bunker on the second day of the World Tour Championship. Photo: AFP

Garcia looked in superb touch and, except for a couple of mistakes on the par-four 12th and par-three 13th holes, the latter resulting in his only bogey, seemed in control of the round.

“I try to enjoy myself as much as possible. Obviously, when you’re playing well, it’s a little easier. It was a good day,” said the Spanish Ryder Cup star.