Sport | Golf
English tee
After the Swedish show on the opening morning, it was an English duo who dominated the morning session in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on Friday.
- By M Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:33 January 16, 2009
- Paul Casey displayed red-hot form when he shot three successive birdies to finish the back nine with a four-shot advantage.
- Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: After the Swedish show on the opening morning, it was an English duo who dominated the morning session in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on Friday.
Paul Casey, Abu Dhabi champion in 2007, and Anthony Wall, a consistent performer on the European Tour, turned on the heat to first complete their unfinished first round and then consolidate their position with some fantastic golf on a sunny day at the National Course.
Casey's display was the more eye-catching as he recorded the best round midway through the second day with a seven under par 65.
Earlier in the morning he completed his unfinished round with a three under par 69, which was three shots adrift of overnight leaders Edfors (66) and Mikael Lundberg (66).
Before the start, Casey said he was keen to set right his mistake of concentrating on the Majors, and yesterday he seemed to be doing just that, reeling off a series of birdies.
After starting round two with a birdie on the par five 10th hole, Casey displayed red-hot form when he shot three successive birdies to finish the back nine with a four-shot advantage.
There was more in store for the fans out on their weekly holiday when Casey shot three consecutive birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, and it was an incredible run of six birdies in seven holes.
Another birdie on the 17th, his eighth, set him up nicely going into the final hole but he found he found the water spoiling a good round and ended with a bogey.
However, a round of seven under 65 seems to have put him in the right spot from where he can swoop on the Falcon Trophy and end his title drought at the course where he last won.
"It would be great to get off to a win this week and start 2009 off the way I want to," said Casey. "This is a great place and I love the development here and I'm excited about what's happening and I love this gold course," said Casey.
"We get treated brilliantly. In fact, the rest of the year is a bit of an anti-climax after you stay in places like the Emirates Palace, a seven-star hotel, everything goes downhill."
Wall, who started his second round with a birdie, saved his best for second half, which was on the front nine. But an eagle on the 11th was followed by two birdies by Wall, the same holes that gave Casey three birdies.
A bogey followed soon after but Wall made amends with a birdie on the penultimate hole to finish with five under 67.
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