Tommy Fleetwood and fellow Englishman Aaron Rai share the lead at the halfway stage of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, opening up a two shot lead over their closest challengers at Yas Links.
Related: Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry in five-way tie for lead
Fleetwood, who won this event in 2017 and 2018, started the day in a five-way tie for the lead but found himself in the chasing pack by the time he began his second round as early starter Nacho Elvira made three birdies on the front nine.
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But the Ryder Cup star soon caught up as he birdied each of the first three holes to grab a share of the lead.
The two-time former winner and reigning FedExCup champion made a total of seven birdies in his round of 66, with his only bogey of the week so far coming on the 15th.
Joining Fleetwood on 14 under par was fellow Rolex Series winner and World Number 30 Rai, who fired a breathtaking albatross and five birdies in a flawless 64.
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The highlight of Rai’s round came at the par-five second, where he holed his approach shot from 218 yards with a six iron to land the rarest of birds.
He kept up the momentum with a birdie from almost 30 feet at the sixth before adding further birdies on the seventh and 11th. Rai then finished with a flourish, draining his 26-foot birdie effort on the 17th before taking advantage of the long 18th to get to 14 under.
The pair sit two shots clear of nearest challengers Andy Sullivan, Nicolai Højgaard and Richard Sterne, with 2019 winner Shane Lowry among those another stroke further back.
Tommy Fleetwood: Really good day. I got off to like the perfect start. Birdie, birdie, birdie. That was good, especially when you’ve had a good round the day before. They always say it’s hard to follow up a good round with another good one, or a low one with another one.
Starting good was really important. I just did a really good job – I hit a lot of good shots but a few times today where I drove it into the rough and we read the lies really well. I felt like we did a great job of controlling the ball out of the rough, and that was really pleasing. I feel like I putted solid again. 6-under was a very good score.
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I feel, obviously, good about my game and I’m doing so many things well. But I’m also very aware of what the game can do to you as well. I’ll just stay very focused on each day. I’m having a lot of good rounds but I’m not stupid, and it’s bitten me enough times. I’ll enjoy these good ones but stay focused and continue to do the right things and keep it going as long as possible.
I’m two rounds in now this week, and hopefully I can put another good round in tomorrow and compete on Sunday and same goes for next week, as well. Yeah, preparing well, trying to play well, trying to compete all the way up till the very last day of the season, and then we can switch off and take a break after that.
Aaron Rai: It was really good. Struck it really well tee-to-green. Had a lot of chances. Just felt very stress-free overall. Yeah, it was just a very solid, productive day.
I think we had about 185 yards to the front (on the second hole). The wind was a little bit down off the left and that green was so fast, it slopes front-to-back, pitching a few yards on to the green, actually caught it a little bit clean off the face, the line was great. Finished around the front edge and chased its way down there. You couldn’t see it from the back of the fairway, so it was a nice surprise.
Any time you hit close to 18 greens, you’ve had a good day out there, let alone 18. The course is in incredible condition. If you hit a lot of fairways, it certainly gives you control. The green complexes are fantastic out here, as well, with being able to use the slopes, change your flights, change your shapes. It’s a pleasure being out here and nice to play well, as well.
