Kaymer makes fine start in Abu Dhabi
Martin Kaymer stretched his lead to four strokes with a superb start to his third round at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The defending champion, who needs only a top-seven finish to take the world number two spot away from Tiger Woods on the eve of his return to action, birdied the 439-yard third from six feet and then holed from nearly 30 feet at the fifth.
The putt lifted Kaymer to 14 under par on the course where he has finished first, second and first the last three years.
First round leader Charl Schwartzel, winner of the Joburg Open last Sunday, also birdied the third to be 10 under, while England’s David Lynn had moved into third place by picking up shots at the first and third to stand nine under.
Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell was on the same mark following a 18-footer at the short fourth, but a drive into thick rough on the next cost the US Open champion a bogey.
Masters champion Phil Mickelson, joint fourth in the world with McDowell, birdied three of the first six holes to climb to six under before bogeying the 10th.
Former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, dropped back from five under to two under, one in front of world number one Lee Westwood, who made the cut with nothing to spare on level par.
