Tiger Woods repeated his opening day 64 to move closer to his first victory of the year in the Dubai Desert Classic.

After trailing Dane Thomas Bjorn for most of the second round, the world No 1 produced five back-nine birdies to reach halfway on the 16 under par total of 128.

That is only three outside the European Tour record he set at the NEC World Championship last year.

That was an event he won by ten strokes, but Woods will go into the third day only two in front of Bjorn, who again showed he is not in fear of the American.

Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, battling for his European Tour future after being put out of the game by injury last year, is three further back and as the round was nearing its conclusion Londoner Brian Davis and Dubliner Paul McGinley were lying joint fourth - McGinley after matching Woods' 64.

Lee Westwood was eight under, but Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke were trailing well behind on four under.

Bjorn went to the turn in 30 to be two clear, but although he added further birdies on the 11th and 13th he had not shaken off the US Open, Open and US PGA champion.

When Woods then stepped up the pace Bjorn's bogey at the 14th - the first either of them had had - opened the door.

Bjorn also failed to birdie the 18th after crashing into the hospitality tent with his second, while Woods got up and down from the back of the green for another eight-birdie performance.

Singh missed six months of last season with a wrist injury and after finishing 145th on the Order of Merit needed the goodwill of the tour to remain a member.

They did indeed grant him an extension, but for only 11 events of this year and he requires a top 20 finish to retain his card. Otherwise he will be looking for sponsors' invitations like so many others.

''I'm still only about 90 per cent and the doctor said it's going to be about a year and a half before it's right,'' said the 29-year-old, the first Indian to qualify for the tour and the son of a former Olympic sprinter.

He added a 66 to his opening 67 and like Woods has still to drop a shot as he attempts to make it three Singh victories in a row on the European circuit following Vijay's wins in Malaysia and Singapore.

Davis' seven-birdie 65 meant a happy return to the scene of one of the worst experiences of his life.

Two years ago the 26-year-old fell ill at the end of the same tournament with what was diagnosed as chickenpox, but turned out to be much more serious.

''I collapsed in my room and my parents, whom I'd rung when I was feeling bad, got someone to come in. After being taken to hospital it was another day before I woke up, I was in intensive care for a week (with seriously high blood clot levels) and it was four months before I was back to full-strength.''

Westwood, starting his defence of the European No 1 title he claimed from seven-time winner Montgomerie last year, completed a first round 66 - he was one of 42 players unable to finish because of fog at the start of the £1m event - then added a 70 to stand eight under.

Newly-wed Eamonn Darcy, 48, who lost his tour card last season and is playing thanks to his 1990 Dubia victory, shocked himself by putting together rounds of 68 and 67 to stand in joint sixth place.

But he is seven adrift of Woods and the title still seems a long shot for the 1987 Ryder Cup hero