Scott Jamieson retains lead after tough day in Abu Dhabi

Ignore the fact he’d stretched his slender overnight lead to four shots at one point. Simply keeping his nose in front was Scott Jamieson’s sole objective and it was job done.

Scott Jamieson during the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

On a day when strong winds played havoc at Yas Links, the big Scot faced a test of character after dropping four shots around the turn in the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Covering the final eight holes in one-under was probably an even better result than Jamieson might have hoped for in arguably the toughest test in some time on the renamed DP World Tour.

In signing for a 74 to sit on seven-under-par, the 38-year-old sits one ahead of Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Englishman Ian Poulter in the clubhouse.

Poulter’s compatriot, James Morrison, also sits on six-under with four holes to play when he returns on Saturday morning to complete his second circuit due to darkness halting the action.

"It certainly wasn't easy,” said Jamieson of the conditions. “We knew the forecast, but, when you're in your hotel room in the morning and the locker room before you play, you think it's a little easier. But then you experience it and get out there.”

Taking up where he’d left off from his opening 63, the Florida-based player used a slope as a backstop to set up a birdie at the par-5 11th - his second - before dropping his first shot in the $8 million Rolex Series event at the 15th.

He gave another one back the 17th before starting for home with a double-bogey 6, but, capped by a birdie-2 at the eighth, his response to that rocky run was praiseworthy.

"The first was the only hole that I really kind of chucked a couple away, but it's so easily done," he added.

"Obviously hitting shots is tricky with all the gusts, but the hardest thing is putting. You get over the ball and you feel like you've got to be so tense to stop everything moving.

“But that's the worst thing you can do when you're trying to putt. I holed a lot of really good putts from inside five feet today which kept my score respectable.”

On a day which yielded only nine sub-par rounds, Poulter carded a level-par 72 to sit alongside Hovland after the world No 7 signed for a 74.

“With the wind as strong as it was, you had to back off because you were getting blown around, but just had to hang in there,” said Poulter.

Having already recorded five wins in his short career, Hovland is lurking ominously. “I'm liking my position right now and we'll see what happens,” he said.

Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open champion, is two shots behind Jamieson in a group that also includes Belgian Thomas Pieters.

“I played okay,” said Lowry after carding a 72. “I feel like I didn't really have my A Game in the wind that I normally would. But it was just so tough out there, every part of it.”

David Law (level-par), Ewen Ferguson (one-over), Richie Ramsay (three-over) and Connor Syme (three-over) are on course to join Jamieson in the final rounds.

But it was a disappointing start to 2022 for Bob MacIntyre as he missed the cut after an 80 that included three double-bogeys.

Don't miss out on a 30 per cent discount on an annual sports subscription. We have a special offer throughout January where you can get a reduced package. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions/sports for more details