Kulacz sizzles in dream round to take solo lead

Australian tops leader board as opening day frontrunners bomb out on Day 2 of Abu Dhabi Golf Championship

Last updated: November 08, 2018 | 03:19

3 MIN READ

Ravindranath/Gulf News

Abu Dhabi For the second day running, the day's last group threw up a leader and this time it was Australia's Rick Kulacz who came up with a dream round to take the lead in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

In Thursday's opening round South Africa's Keith Horne and Richard Bland, both playing in the last group, No. 42, carded rounds of 6 under par 66 to join Ian Poulter as day one leader but all three failed to do good yesterday and Kulacz, playing in yesterday's No. 42 group of three, catapulted to the lead.

Class of his own

Kulacz, who got hooked to the game as a four-year-old when an asthma attack kept him awake and he was forced to watch TV which showed compatriot Greg Norman playing in the Open Championship, came up with a sizzling round, particularly in his back nine which were the National Course's first nine holes.

Playing alongside amateur Othman Al Mulla of Saudi Arabia, who carded a round of one over 73 and Sweden's Steven Jeppesen, who finished the two rounds with a par score, Kulacz was in a class of his own. Starting with a birdie, which Kulacz said gave him the momentum, the 25-year-old then picked up three more shots before dropping one in his first nine.

Kulacz' star turn came in his back nine as he birdied the first four holes, dropped a shot on the fifth hole and then birdied the next three to complete a round of nine under par 63, which fell just one shot below the course record of 62 shot by Henrik Stenson in 2006. "I just tried to get it on the green anywhere and the putts just seemed to be going in. It was just one of those days where everything went my way and hopefully I can keep that going the next two days," said Kulacz.

Recalling his asthma attack, Kulacz said: "My parents tell me that I couldn't sleep about one o'clock in the morning and the 1988 British Open was on TV. I was three and Norman was playing and seemed to catch my eye and the next week my dad took me down to the golf course, just a public one, and ever since I have been playing golf. So I guess Norman and the TV got me into golf," he told reporters after his heroics.

Until Kulacz' late surge, it was Sergio Garcia, Peter Hanson and Shane Lowry who led with their overall 11 under par over the two days. Now jointly tied for second the trio along with 2008 champion Martin Kaymer, Chris Wood and Rhys Davies (all on 10 under par) tied for fifth place, today's action promises to be an intriguing affair.

Among the notable faces that missed the cut are European champion Lee Westwood and Miguel Jimenez among others.