DP World Tour : Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Leaderboard
As the temperature drops to -25*c here in Toronto, you'd think when you're watching the guys playing the YAS Links in Abu Dhabi, right on the Persian Gulf on the southern coast of the UAE in the Middle East, that it would be hot and sunny.
However the predicted wind from the NE showed up, a howling gale at times. cold by their standards, and with round 2 just finished I can tell you the average score was darn near 77, or +5, and only 5 players broke par 72.
The cut is predicted at +3, Rory McIlroy just made a birdie 4 on the 630yard par 5 dead into the wind to end up with 72 75 +3 right on the number. Colin Morikawa 73 74 +3 has also made the cut.
With the light fading fast, over 30 in the field did not finish, and will need to come back at 7.30am on Saturday. The wind is expected to stay around for the weekend, we'll have to see if it stays so fierce.
Here's is a summary from europeantour.com
Scott Jamieson fired a battling 74 to maintain his one-shot lead after a wild and windy second day of the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The Scot had entered round two of the first Rolex Series event on the 2022 DP World Tour season at nine under and while he, like many of the rest of the field, moved backwards in very high winds, he kept his nose in front at seven under with a late birdie.
Ryder Cup team-mates Viktor Hovland and Ian Poulter were then at six under, with the Englishman carding an impressive level-par 72 and Norway's Hovland matching Jamieson with a 74.
England's James Morrison was also at six under, left with 18 feet for birdie on the sixth green when play was suspended due to darkness.
Morrison will return to complete the sixth and his final three holes at 7.30am on day three, with some players having as many as seven holes left.
Swede Alexander Björk, Japan's Takumi Kanaya, Ireland's Shane Lowry and Belgian Thomas Pieters were then at five under.
Jamieson's second round may have taken 11 shots more than his first but was arguably equally impressive conisdering the conditions which resulted in just ten complete rounds of par or better.
Dane Jeff Winther carded the round of the day with a 69 to sit at four under alongside Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello and South African Erik van Rooyen - who both went under par with rounds of 71 - and Frenchman Victor Perez, who carded a 74
My opinion: It's a joy to listening to the European broadcasting team. For example on the 18th defending champion Tyrrell Hatton hit his 3rd into the greenside "ice plants".Nobody could find his ball, until Ken Brown in the truck led Aussie "Radar" Reilly who was on course with the group to find it as he trudged, getting his shoes soaking wet through the cabbage. As he scampered out Brown says "how's the lie Radar, how's the lie chubby" to which Reilly responds "who bloody cares ?!" to loud laughter from the truck..
Their colourful use of the English language "just footered away 3 shots on the wind", the accents, Scottish, Australian, English etal, and their self depreciating sense of humour are just wonderful listening, and this is without Tony Johnstone who is home in South Africa.
Bryan Angus
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