Nicolai von Dellingshausen slips late but stays in contention, while Marcel Schneider climbs leaderboard with strong 68.
On Day 2 of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the DP World Tour, Nicolai von Dellingshausen continued his solid play, despite a late bogey that cost him a few spots on the leaderboard. He carded a 2-under 70 and remains within striking distance of the leaders. Marcel Schneider bounced back from a disappointing opening round with a 68, moving closer to the rest of the field. Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai lead the tournament heading into the weekend at 14-under-par.
Von Dellingshausen stays in the mix despite late bogey
After a dream start with a 6-under 66 on Thursday, Nicolai von Dellingshausen had his sights set on the top of the leaderboard. However, his second round began with trouble, as a wayward drive on the 3rd hole forced a drop and led to a bogey. Undeterred, he produced one of the highlights of the day on the par-5 7th, opting for a putter from off the green and sinking it for an eagle. He added a long birdie putt on the 10th and another birdie on the 14th to climb back up the board. Unfortunately, a missed short putt late in the round resulted in a second bogey, and he finished with a 70 (-2), dropping to 17th place but still within reach of the leaders.
Marcel Schneider showed significant improvement on Friday after an opening 72. On the 2nd hole, he hit a precise shot from a fairway bunker to set up his first birdie. He followed with another birdie on the 7th after a solid up-and-down from a greenside bunker. On the back nine, he birdied the 10th, bogeyed the 11th, but bounced back with a bold drive on the 14th that led to another birdie. He closed his round with a birdie on the 18th, finishing with a 68 (-4) and moving closer to the pack.
Albatross lifts Rai into co-lead with Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai share the lead at 14-under-par after two rounds. Fleetwood started hot with birdies on his first three holes and only dropped one shot on the 15th. Rai made headlines early with an albatross on the 2nd hole, holing out from 195 yards with an iron. He followed that up with five birdies to join Fleetwood at the top. With a tightly packed leaderboard, the weekend promises an exciting finish at this DP World Tour Rolex Series event.