UAE specialist Tommy Fleetwood shares lead with former Scottish Open champion in Abu Dhabi

World No 5 Fleetwood followed an opening 64 in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links with a 66 to sit on 14 under, sharing the lead with fellow Englishman Aaron Rai after he carded the same two scores but the opposite way around.

Fleetwood is chasing a third win in this event after already landing the title in both 2017 and 2018 while he also landed the inaugural Dubai Invitational in 2024.

“They always say it’s hard to follow a low one with another one and six under was a very good score,” admitted the 34-year-old, who has been riding on the crest of a wave since breaking his PGA Tour duck in style by winning the Tour Championship to also claim the FedEx Cup.

Rai, who lit up his round with an albatross 2 at the second, where he holed a 6-iron from 218 yards, pipped Fleetwood in a play-off to win the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in 2020.

The 30-year-old hit all 18 greens in regulation and admitted: “Struck it really well tee-to-green and had a lot of chances. Just felt very stress-free overall. Yeah, it was just a very solid, productive day.”

Calum Hill is the leading Scot in Abu Dhabi

The duo sit two shots clear of a group that includes Shane Lowry, another former winner, with Masters champion and Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy heading into the weekend sitting six shots off the pace after a second successive 68.

Calum Hill, who also reached the midpoint on eight under, is the leading Scot, one ahead of Bob MacIntyre after the Oban man took a bogey-6 at the 18th for the second day running.

Elsewhere, Scottish-born Connor McKinney set a hot pace in the DP World Tour Qualifying School Final Stage with an opening nine-under-par 62 at Infinitum Golf in Spain.

The effort earned the player who now flies the Australian flag a two-shot lead on a day when Gregor Graham fared best of four Scots with a 69. Craig Howie and Sam Locke also broke par with 69s while Marc Warren signed for a 71.