(Reuters) – Scott Jamieson maintained his one-shot lead on the midway stage of the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi after carding a two-over-par 74 on Friday, whereas four-time main winner Rory McIlroy stored himself in rivalry to make it by means of to the weekend.
Overnight chief Jamieson entered spherical two at nine-under however moved backwards in windy situations at Yas Links, like most of the remainder of the sphere.
The Scot briefly had a four-shot benefit on Friday however bogeys on the fifteenth and seventeenth holes meant he couldn’t repeat his error-free efficiency from the opening day.
“It actually wasn’t straightforward,” mentioned Jamieson, who enters the weekend on a seven-under main complete. “It’s so tough, clearly hitting photographs is difficult with all of the gusts however the hardest factor is placing.
“You recover from the ball and you are feeling like you have to be so tense to cease every part transferring however that is the worst factor you are able to do if you’re attempting to putt.
“I holed loads of actually good putts from inside 5 ft as we speak which stored my rating respectable… Pretty proud of two over par as we speak.”
England’s Ian Poulter carded a formidable par-72 and sat in a share of second place on six-under alongside Norway’s Viktor Hovland who signed for a 74.
James Morrison was degree par by means of 14 holes and on a six-under complete earlier than play was suspended in a single day because of darkness.
McIlroy, who continues to be looking for his maiden victory in Abu Dhabi after 4 runners-up finishes, made a complete of six bogeys together with 4 on the again 9.
But a birdie putt on the ultimate gap put him in a very good place for the weekend, with the Northern Irishman sitting proper on the minimize line on three-over with spherical two to be accomplished on Saturday morning.
World quantity two Collin Morikawa additionally stored himself in rivalry to make the minimize, sitting three-over after carding a second-round 74.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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