Thriston Lawrence raced through the back nine in 29 shots on Friday as he outscored his playing partner Rory McIlroy in the second round of the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links in the UAE.
After making a birdie and two bogeys on the front nine as he turned in one-over-par, Lawrence made an eagle and five birdies as he carded a six-under-par 66 to move to 11-under-par through 36 holes and a share of 10th. McIlroy had eight birdies and a triple-bogey six on the par-three 17th on his way to a second-successive five-under-par and a share of 14th.
Lawrence had a magnificent run of four holes immediately after the turn as he made a birdie on 10, eagle on 11, and then birdies on 12 and 13. He picked up two more birdies on 15 and 18, and is projected to remain in second place on the Race to Dubai Ranking behind McIlroy.
The lead in the tournament is held at an astonishing 19-under-par – a DP World Tour halfway record – by Paul Waring of England, who had an eagle and nine birdies in his second round of 11-under-par 61. He leads by five strokes from Johannes Veerman of the United States, England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Danes Niklas Norgaard and Thorbjorn Olesen.
Brandon Stone followed his opening 66 with a two-under-par 70, and, at eight-under, was in a share of 26th. Casey Jarvis improved to a four-under 68 in the second round, and was in a share of 39th at six-under-par.
Jayden Schaper had a 70 to move to five-under and was in a share of 48th in the 70-man field, while Dylan Frittelli’s two-under put him in a share of 52nd on four-under-par.
