Lee Westwood of England in Dubai on Friday. (Reuters)

Dubai: Jeev Milkha Singh slipped to tied 24th after a bumpy back nine that forced him to settle for an even-par card in the second round of the elite season-ending Dubai World Championship golf tournament here Friday.

The Chandigarh pro who had opened his campaign with a strong two-under 70 at the picturesque Earth course of the Jumeirah Golf Estates, looked set for another sub-par card after an impressive front nine.

Jeev had a good start to his second round campaign where birdies on the second and third holes placed him two-under.

The fourth hole bogey did eat into his cushion but Jeev birdied the seventh to take the turn at two-under.

Things were not as rosy on his return journey.

He began with the 10th hole bogey and then double bogeyed the 16th to go one-over but still signed off with an even-par card, thanks to the 17th hole birdie.

Meanwhile, England’s Lee Westwood took advantage of a couple of putting errors by money-list rival Rory McIlroy to grab a two-shot lead after the second round on Friday.

Westwood birdied the 18th, a tough par-five, to shoot a three-under 69 for a nine-under tally of 135.

Fellow Briton McIlroy (69) shared second spot on 137 with overnight leader Robert Allenby of Australia (72), Colombian Camilo Villegas (71), South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen (66), Briton Ross McGowan (66) and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (69).

Triple major winner Harrington twice found water as he carded a double-bogey seven at the last hole.

“I didn't even know there was a water hazard left of the green,” the Irishman told reporters.

“I’m glad it’s not Sunday when I did it but Friday.”

Westwood, second behind Race to Dubai money-list leader McIlroy, was two shots adrift of his young rival after the Northern Irishman powered to the turn in 31 with three birdies and an eagle three courtesy of a superb approach to three feet at the seventh.

However, missed putts of three and two feet for bogeys on 14 and 15 meant the 20-year-old McIlroy handed the initiative back to the Englishman.