Abu Dhabi Championship: Paul Lawrie makes move for title

Having ended 2011 with his first victory for over two years, Woods put himself in ideal position to start 2012 with another thanks to a superb bogey-free display

The 14-times major winner ended the day on 11-under par, tied with England’s Rock, who birdied the final two holes for a matching 66.

They are two in front of four Ryder Cup players – Lawrie, Swede Peter Hanson, Italian Francesco Molinari and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

Lawrie shot a four-under 68 to take him to nine-under for the tournament. The Aberdonian, now 43, said afterwards on his website: “I played ‘afa good’ again today.

“My only mistake today was missing the 14th green right when the pin was tight right but, apart from that, I played good and have given myself a chance for tomorrow.”

McIlroy, the 22-year-old US Open champion, would be sharing top spot if he had not incurred a two-stroke penalty for brushing sand away off the ninth green in his second round, but a 68 kept him firmly in the hunt.

Woods joked that “it will be nice to get rid of him” after playing with McIlroy three days in a row – and also for nine holes of practice.

Woods added: “I was just kind of consistent. I didn’t do a whole lot wrong, I didn’t do a whole lot right. Six birdies piled up, but I was methodically going about my business and grinding.

“This course is playing difficult enough. You can make birdies, but you can go the wrong way quickly.”

There were 24 changes at the top of the leaderboard during the day and at one point eight players were locked together. Woods made himself the man to catch, however, when he followed his front nine 34 with further birdies on the 10th, 12th and 14th. Another came when he found the green in two and two-putted the 567-yard last, but Rock fired in an approach to five feet on the 17th and closed with an eight-footer.

The 34-year-old’s only European Tour victory in well over 200 starts came at the Italian Open last season. He admitted he was thinking about the possibility of playing the final round with Woods as he entered the finishing stretch.

Less than a decade ago Rock was working at the Swingers Golf Centre in Tamworth. “[I was] selling Mars bars, chatting to my mates, watching him [Woods] winning majors,” he said. “I was keeping an eye on the leaderboard wondering if I had a chance to play with him. It’s cool – I can’t wait.”

McIlroy said: “I’ve seen up close how Tiger is playing and I feel if I play my best I’ve got a great chance.

“It will be a bit different not playing with him. Tiger will bring most of the crowd and maybe I can go quietly about my business.”

Hanson had a best-of-the-week 64, and Molinari a 66.

World No.1 Luke Donald managed only a 73 after setting off with three birdies in four holes and now finds himself down in joint 55th place on level par. Among those who overtook him was second-ranked Lee Westwood, whose 68 came a day after he was struggling with a neck problem.

• Kyle Stanley overpowered Torrey Pines and opened up a five-shot lead in the Farmers Insurance Open in California last night.

Stanley missed a four-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have set the 54-hole tournament record.

However, he settled for a four-under-par round of 68 and a share of the record, 18-under 198, with Tiger Woods, who set it in 1998. He is in a great position as he goes after his first-ever PGA Tour victory today.

John Huh, a rookie who came through tour qualifying school, also had a 68 and was in second place at 13 under, along with John Rollins.

The South Course at Torrey Pines measures 7,698 yards and tends to favour big hitters, such as seven-time winner Woods, Phil Mickelson and defending champion Bubba Watson. Stanley is also in that group of power players.