Players take advantage of better conditions
The second morning of the Abu Dhabi Gold Tournament saw an upturn in the fortunes for some of the bigger names at the event.
Many players were caught out by the gusting winds yesterday but in slightly calmer conditions, the early starters found the going more to their liking.
The overnight lead remained in tact, however, with Keith Horne’s flawless six-under round of 66 challenged only by Ricardo Gonzalez and Peter Gustafsson, who both moved within one shot of the late-starting South African.
World number 11 Chris DiMarco, one who had been unhappy with the conditions in the United Arab Emirates capital, began his second round well, picking up two shots in his first four holes to move to three under.
Like the American, Thomas Bjorn of Denmark birdied the first to find himself at level par after five holes.
But England’s David Howell, the leader on the European Order of Merit, was unable to arrest yesterday’s slide.
Playing alongside DiMarco and Bjorn, he started the day one over but dropped two shots early on to slip to three over after six holes.
Howell’s fellow countryman David Lynn picked up from where he left off last night with a back nine score of 36 to remain just three shots off the lead.
Scot Ross Bain, who had quietly compiled his opening-round 69, bogeyed the first and then birdied the second to remain three over after five.
England’s Nick Dougherty had slipped to two over but raced out of the blocks this morning with three birdies in his opening three holes.
A bogey at the sixth saw him drop back to level par and Kenneth Ferrie fell back to five over with a pair of bogeys early in his round.
