Olesen leads as big names lurk

Last updated: 28th January 2012

Dane Thorbjorn Olesen leads after round two of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, but Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are lurking ominously two shots back.

Olesen followed up his opening-round 70 with a five-under-par 67 that took him to seven under par for the tournament and gave him the sole possession of the lead, one shot clear of Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin, who shot a 70, and Italian Matteo Manassero, whose 65 was the low round of the week.

While the trio of rising stars lead the tournament at the halfway mark, they are being chased by a large group of players on five under - including World No 3 Rory McIlroy and 14-time major winner Tiger Woods.

Woods and McIlroy share fourth place on five under with five others - Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (71), England's Robert Rock (70) and Richard Finch (71), Scot Paul Lawrie (69) and Sweden's Robert Karlsson - while another group of five that includes the likes of Sergio Garcia (69), Padraig Harrington (69) and Charl Schwartzel (70) lie a further shot back on four under.

Olesen set the early clubhouse target as he birdied three of the first four holes and picked up four more shots in a barn-storming stretch around the turn. If it hadn't been for a costly bogey six at the par-five last, he would have found himself even further ahead.

"I hit it pretty close and holed some good putts," he said.

"I had a few bad shots here and there on the back nine but I saved a lot of them. It's a bit of a shame to finish with a bogey but I played really well, so that's good."

McIlroy might well have shared the lead, but for a two-stroke penalty he incurred on the 456-yard ninth where, after finding himself just off the green after two, he made the mistake of brushing away sand that was not on the putting surface. A referee was called in and the penalty was handed down.

Asked if he was guilty of a lack of concentration or if he simply did not know the rule, McIlroy said: "I think it was a little bit of both - first week back as well.

"Luke said 'I don't think you can do that' and then I was like 'Oh yeah I can't, can I?' It twigged on me straightaway.

"It undid all the great work I'd done after the bad start, but JP (caddie JP Fitzgerald) said 'It's only Friday, it's not as if these things are happening to you on a Sunday afternoon'.

McIlroy also made a double bogey at the par-four third and dropped two more shots at the first and and 11th, but six birdies around the course, three on each nine, helped him to a level-par 72 and kept him well in the hunt heading into the weekend.

"Tiger's not making many mistakes, is very consistent and his ball control looks good. I'm looking forward to battling with him over the weekend," he added.

Woods, looking at times like the champion of old, found himself at six under, only one off the lead, after he picked up birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th, but he bogeyed the next after driving into the rough and, like McIlroy, had to settle for par on the long 18th.

"I thought I played well," said Woods. "A lot of the things Sean (coach Sean Foley) and I are working on are starting to feel very comfortable.

"But it's tough out there - the greens are a little bit quicker, a little bit dryer and the rough seems to be getting deeper and more lush so it certainly puts a premium on driving the ball in the fairway.

"I got more committed with my putter. Once I read the greens I thought I'd just play and trust my stroke.

"I'm only two back. It's a bunched leaderboard and so many guys have a chance to win. I've just got to keep plugging along and doing what I am doing."

Woods and McIlroy's playing partner over the first two rounds, World No 1 Luke Donald, compiled a three-birdie, three-bogey, level-par round of 72 that left him on one under, six shots off the pace.

Lee Westwood, meanwhile, battled with a neck injury for the duration of his second round and though it looked at one stage as if he might miss the cut after notching up five bogeys in his first 12 holes, he rallied to post a hat-trick of valuable birdies and card a second straight 72 that saw him finish on level par and ensure he will be around for the weekend.

Before going off for treatment, he said: "I've had it for about a month, but this is the first time I've played three days in a row since.

"The pain goes down into my elbow and it feels like somebody is driving a needle in there."

Asked if there was any possibility of him having to pull out on Saturday, he replied: "If I'd hit it in the long rough I might have had to think about it, but hopefully I'll be ok tomorrow."

The biggest shock of the day came courtesy of Germany's Martin Kaymer. A heavy favourite ahead of the tournament considering he had already won it three times - including twice in the last two years - Kaymer was not able to overcome his disastrous opening-round 77, carding a 73 that left him on six over and well outside the cut line.