Shane Lowry hits his approach shot into the 18th during the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Picture by GETTY IMAGES
SHANE Lowry was still the man to catch at the halfway stage of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after following up Wednesday’s course record-equalling 62 with a battling 70.
After a rocky start to his second round, three-time European Tour winner Lowry found the form that helped him match Henrik Stenson’s 13-year-old record on day one at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, bouncing back from two early bogeys with four birdies to get to 12 under par.
South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Richard Sterne were a single shot behind Lowry in a tie for second after posting second-round 68s.
Early clubhouse leader Lee Westwood was in fourth place on 10-under, with Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, Dane Soren Kjeldsen and Englishmen Ian Poulter and Tom Lewis another stroke further back.
Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Tommy Fleetwood held his nerve to fire the birdie he needed at the 18th to make the cut.
A delighted Lowry said after his round: “I’m really happy with that. I knew today was going to be a bit of a weird day after shooting such a low score yesterday.
“I just tried to go out and play like I played. To be honest, right from the start, I really feel like I played pretty well today. I think I gave myself a lot of chances.
“Some of the shots early on were pretty horrendous. I battled back and hit some really nice shots out there and hit some in close and made some birdies. I was happy with myself.”
Oosthuizen has his sights firmly set on Lowry and the top of the leaderboard with two rounds to play
He said: “It’s always exciting trying to win any event and going into the weekend really close.
“I try and get my game so that I try and compete every week or at least top 30 every week.
“But you have some weeks where you struggle where that’s difficult, but other weeks it seems easy to make a top 10.
“So you just need to go through all those emotions and just keep on plugging.
Westwood who ended a four-year drought by winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge, at Sun City, in November, was also pleased with his day’s work saying: “I felt like I played pretty similar to yesterday.
“I hit a lot of good shots, drove the ball pretty well. Like I said yesterday, these fairways aren’t the easiest to hit.
“You’ve got to cross some angles, and they seem to have narrowed them a bit, so you’re going to miss a few.
“I seemed to be in the semi quite a lot. I wasn’t far off the fairways and had pretty good control of the ball most of the day.
“I putted nicely again. Three-putted the 18th, my ninth hole, but other than that, rolled some nice ones in and hit a lot of good putts that just grazed the edge.
“So I was pleased with the way that I played and hit some nice iron shots and controlled everything pretty well.”
