Scrivener is tied for third at halfway on eight under after a blemish-free 69 on Friday, while fellow countryman Min Woo Lee compiled one of the rounds of the day on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club, a blistering six-under 66, to be a shot further back.
Overnight joint-leader David Micheluzzi faltered after his opening 65, going round in 73, but was still in the hunt at six under with all three Aussies in the top dozen.
David Micheluzzi slipped up after his brilliant first round but is not out of the hunt. (AP PHOTO)
Leading the way, though, was Scotsman Ewen Ferguson, whose 65 made him the unlikely halfway leader on 12 under, one ahead of New Zealander Daniel Hillier, who also shot seven under for the day.
Meanwhile, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland missed the cut and Rory McIlroy had to battle just to make the weekend as the $US9m ($A14m) tournament's headline acts found the going tough.
But 35-year-old Perth-based stalwart Scrivener, whose best ever European tour performance also came in the UAE four years ago when runner-up in the Abu Dhabi Championship, thrived again.
Feeling re-energised after a break following a disappointing 2024 campaign, the South African-born Scrivener enthused: "I played a smart round of golf. When I was out of position, I put it back in play and holed some nice putts as well. So all in all, it's a nice start."
Chef's approval 👨��🤌— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) #HeroDubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/7h4uuJUXoAJanuary 17, 2025 Min Woo Lee had a couple of admirers while he was really cooking on his front nine.
After a couple of top-seven finishes in his previous eight visits to the tournament, he admitted: "I love it here. I've had mixed results, but it's a course that suits me as generally a straight driver.
"I think I've just had a nice reset this year. Last year, I got sick a couple of times. Two kids probably have changed life a little bit as well, so it's been nice to step away from the game a little bit.
"But now I've kind of reinvented myself in a way, and I'm enthusiastic to improve and get back to where I was."
Starting on the 10th hole, Lee had a wonderful start, making six birdies in his first seven holes, but his good work for the day was spoiled at the death, the par-four ninth, where he found the water and recorded a double-bogey.
Ewen Ferguson, of Scotland, leads the way at the Emirates Golf Club. (AP PHOTO)
Ferguson, ranked No.141 in the world, grabbed the lead in flukey fashion thanks to his over-hit second at the final hole rebounding off a big advertising board and back onto the green, ending up just five foot from the pin. Much obliged, he holed for an eagle.
Rahm shot 77, with the LIV Golf luminary admitting gloomily: "I wouldn't say that there was anything that went well. No part of the game today was even average to what I would like to feel."
McIlroy (71) was on three under for the tournament, nine off the lead with his putter running cold. "A little frustrated," he said. "But the conditions were a little tricky."
Don't rule him out yet, though. He was 10 strokes behind after 36 holes last year before going on to repeat as champion.
