Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship may be the immediate goal of the leading European golfers here this weekend, but the holy grail of the Ryder Cup remains uppermost in their minds.
It may be a little over eight months until this year’s biennial battle, but the presence of would-be combatants from the United States and Europe – including the latter’s captain Darren Clarke – at Abu Dhabi Golf Club means it has been discussed unabashedly.
Passionate proclamations of intent have replaced the customary and cliched caution of taking one tournament at a time in interviews with potential competitors – including England’s Andy Sullivan.
Sullivan posted a second successive 67 to take the halfway clubhouse lead on Friday – and stake an early claim for inclusion in the Europe squad – on 10-under par after play was suspended for two hours and 45 minutes due to heavy fog.
The world number 37 later echoed the American world number one Jordan Spieth’s insistence earlier this week that playing at Hazeltine was one of his paramount ambitions in 2016.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine, but there are a lot of good guys that will be pushing hard to get it,” said the 28-year-old Sullivan, the only player other than world number three Rory Mclroy to win three European Tour tournaments last year. “So I know that I’ve got to keep my foot on the gas and try to keep pushing on.”
Sullivan said he had savoured “a little taste” of what to expect stateside in September after being part of Europe’s 18½–5½ thrashing of Asia in last weekend’s EurAsia Cup.
Europe’s captain for this autumn’s showdown, Clarke, was the skipper for the mauling in Malaysia and also in Sullivan’s group on Friday.
The Northern Irishman, who is on one-under for the tournament, heaped praise on Sullivan, calling him “a proper player who has got the lot”.
Sullivan’s rich repertoire includes a prodigious short game, his unerring putter yielding three birdies at the start and three at the end.
How pleased was he with his display?
“Massively,” he replied, before saying he would spend some time on the driving range after shanking some of his drives to the left.
Meanwhile, another likely Ryder Cup player of the future, the surprise first-round leader Bryson DeChambeau, is one shot behind Sullivan on nine-under.
But the American could complete only nine holes following the earlier weather delay after play ended at 5.56pm due to darkness, and will have to finish his second round on Saturday morning.
“I’m not even worried about it,” the impressively sanguine DeChambeau said of the disruption.
Dutchman Joost Luiten heads a four-way tie for third place on seven-under alongside the former Ryder Cup player Thomas Bjorn, while a much-hoped-for desert duel between the world number one Jordan Spieth and his playing partner Rory McIlroy has failed to materialise.
The world number three dropped one shot to lie tied for ninth with fellow threeball member Rickie Fowler on five-under after 13 holes, while Abu Dhabi debutant Spieth is one of a handful of players in 26th place on three-under.
Play resumes at 7.40am on Saturday, with round three not beginning before 10.45am.
For tee times, see www.gulfnews.com/sport.
