Warren’s hopes stall as Kaymer takes route 66 to summit

Marc Warren’s hopes of a fourth European Tour victory suffered a setback after a frustrating second round at the Abu Dhabi championship. The Glasgow golfer started the day only two shots adrift of Sweden’s Henrik Stenson following a superb opening round of six-under-par 66. But the 35-year-old was unable to keep pace with halfway leader Martin Kaymer, who carded a second successive 66 to move one shot clear. Warren’s topsy-turvy level-par round of 72, which included four birdies and four bogeys, meant he dropped to tied 20th position. He was one of four Scots to make the cut, with David Drysdale only a shot behind after a second-round 69, while Aberdeen’s Richie Ramsay and Glaswegian Scott Jamieson are tied 51st on three-under-par after rounds of 72 and 70. Press and Journal columnist Stephen Gallacher’s 500th European Tour event ended on a sour note with the 42-year-old Scot bogeying the 18th to miss the cut by a single shot on one under following a level par second round. Aberdeen’s Paul Lawrie and Grantown’s Duncan Stewart also missed out on the final two rounds. First round leader Stenson fell off the pace with a second-round 71 with former world number one Kaymer moving to the top of the leaderboard as he chases victory in Abu Dhabi for the fourth time. The German two-time major winner lifted the trophy in 2008, 2010 and 2011, but blew a 10-shot lead in the final round in 2015 and remains without a victory since the 2014 US Open. Kaymer reverted to his winter practice regime in America for the first time in three years, a decision which helped produce an eagle on the par 5 eighth and six birdies in a back nine of 31. He said: “I’m not quite 100% happy yet with the way I played, but there are always little things as I’m a perfectionist. “I played a little better than Thursday, because it was a bit more difficult with the wind. I struck the ball with a little better quality and made a few long putts. “I didn’t try to push at all, I just tried to enjoy playing my favourite golf course. Once in a while a long putt dropped and I got some momentum.” Defending champion Rickie Fowler and US Open champion Dustin Johnson safely made the cut on four under after matching rounds of 68, but US Masters champion Danny Willett had just four players below him after a 76 which included a quadruple-bogey nine on the 10th.

Martin Kaymer

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