Nicolai von Dellingshausen slips late on Day 2 but stays in contention; Marcel Schneider climbs leaderboard with a 68.
At the halfway mark of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Nicolai von Dellingshausen remains within striking distance of the leaders despite a late bogey on Friday. The German carded a 70 (-2) to sit T17 heading into the weekend. Compatriot Marcel Schneider bounced back from a slow start with an impressive 68 to move up the leaderboard. Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai lead the field at 14-under-par after two rounds.
Von Dellingshausen stays in the hunt
After opening with a 66, Von Dellingshausen had his sights set on the top of the leaderboard. However, a wayward drive on the 3rd hole forced a drop and led to a bogey. He quickly rebounded with one of the day’s highlights: an eagle on the par-5 7th, where he opted for a putter from off the green and drained it over a hill. He added birdies on holes 10 and 14, but a missed short putt near the end resulted in a second bogey. Despite the setback, his 2-under round keeps him in the mix for the weekend.
Marcel Schneider, who opened with a 72, showed significant improvement on Friday. He birdied the 2nd hole after a precise shot from a fairway bunker and added another birdie on 7 with a confident up-and-down from a greenside bunker. On the back nine, he birdied the 10th, bogeyed the 11th, then bounced back with birdies on 14 and 18. His 68 (-4) brought him back into contention ahead of the weekend.
Fleetwood and Rai share the lead
Tommy Fleetwood surged early with birdies on the first three holes and held steady throughout the round, only dropping a shot on the 15th. Aaron Rai delivered the shot of the day with an albatross on the par-5 2nd, holing out from 195 yards with an iron. He followed it up with five birdies to match Fleetwood at 14-under-par. With a tightly packed leaderboard, the weekend promises an exciting finish to this DP World Tour Rolex Series event.
Leaderboard: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Nicolai von Dellingshausen opts for putter instead of wedge… and it comes off 😎#ADGolfChamps |