LOWRY’S RESOLVE COMES TO FORE

SHANE LOWRY is still the man to catch in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, having recovered from a poor start to his round to lead by a shot. The Clara man added a 70 to his course record-equalling 62 on day one to post a halfway total of 12 under, a shot ahead of former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and another South African Richard Sterne. Lowry had bogeyed the second and third, but bounced back with birdies at the fifth, seventh, 12th and 15th to remain on course for his first win since the 2015 WGC Bridgestone Invitational. ‘I’m really happy with that,’ Lowry said. ‘I knew today was going to be a bit of a weird day after shooting such a low score yesterday. I just tried to go out and play like I played. ‘Some of the shots early on were pretty horrendous, so I battled back and hit some really nice shots out there and hit some in close and made some birdies. I was happy with myself. ‘I was in Dubai for 12 days before I came up here and pretty much I was practising, training every day. I was there with Paul Dunne and we had a really nice time, we practised together and had some matches. I didn’t actually beat him once, so I wasn’t coming up here too optimistic. ‘But I knew I had done everything right to get myself in a good frame of mind to play here yesterday and today. To be going out playing with Louis tomorrow, I’ll enjoy that and hopefully I can go out and make a good show of myself.’ Dunne missed the cut after a second consecutive round of 73 left him two over, while defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, seeking a third straight win in the event, birdied the 18th to make the cut on the mark of three under par. Lee Westwood is two shots behind Lowry on 10 under.