Kaymer has double top on agenda as McDowell falters

With Graeme McDowell dropping from 25th to 42nd with a second round 73 at the season-ending Dubai World Championship – he needs a top-three finish to have any chance – Kaymer is cruising home in the money list race.

But the 25-year-old German might have to win the tournament to dethrone Lee Westwood at the head of the world rankings and after two rounds he is in fourth place and Westwood third.

A tightly-packed leaderboard sees their Ryder Cup teammates Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter setting the pace at nine-under par, Poulter following a 66 and Fisher after a 64 that equalled the course record established by Westwood in winning the title last year.

Westwood had a 67 to be only one behind, while Kaymer's 70 left him two back along with Paul Casey – the man controversially left out of last month's win over the Americans – and Thai golfer Thongchai Jaidee.

When told of McDowell's position 10 shots off the pace and eight shots behind him, Kaymer said: "He will find it difficult to win from there."

The Ulsterman accepted that, but was reminded of the fact that at the Wales Open in June he turned a six-stroke deficit after 36 holes into a three-shot win with rounds of 64 and 63.

Mental fatigue is appearing to take its toll now, though. This is McDowell's fifth event in a row, while Kaymer took last week off.

"I was just very quick to lose patience with myself," said McDowell, who after climbing from 25th to sixth spot with three birdies in the first seven holes bogeyed four of the next seven.

"I don't think I have a huge amount in the tank and I'm finding it tough to scramble.

"There are enough good shots in there to give myself a chance, but I'm getting frustrated very quickly.

"Ken (his caddie Ken Comboy) said he had never seen me like that and maybe this is one step too far.

"Just simple, stupid mistakes – the sign of a man whose head is not very sharp."

Fisher is looking to add the first prize of nearly 777,000 to his Irish Open win in August, while Poulter, is trying to make it two victories in a row after his Hong Kong Open success last Sunday. He also had a top 10 in Singapore the week before.

Armed with a new all-white driver, he and playing partner Westwood both birdied the first three holes before Poulter made it four in a row.

Fisher came racing past them with four birdies in the last seven holes, but Poulter's two on the short 17th brought him back level and Westwood also birdied it to be right on their heels.

First-round leader Robert Karlsson, meanwhile, had an even worse time than McDowell. A 75 dropped him all the way to joint 12th and he is now five behind.

While Poulter is delighted with his new driver – Worksop's Westwood fears his might be about to break.

"I kept losing shots to the left – I think the head is about to go," he said. "I brought a spare, so I'm going to do a bit of testing on the range.

"If you hit them hard they tend not to last too long."

Malton's Simon Dyson leads the Yorkshire trio's challenge after adding a 71 to an opening 72, while Harrogate's John Parry shot a 69 to move back to level par.

Sheffield's Danny Willett is struggling after successive rounds of 76.