Kaymer holds lead at Abu Dhabi

2008-01-18

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By Andrew Mullen Special to PA SportsTicker

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (Ticker) -- Martin Kaymer holds a six-stroke lead over Henrik Stenson at the midway point of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

The reigning European Tour Rookie of the Year, Kaymer fired a 7-under-par 65 in Friday's second round to improve his overall score to 13-under 131.

Kaymer began the second day with a slender one-stroke advantage over Stenson, the world No. 16 who has six tour wins to his name.

But after the 23-year-old German stormed clear in the morning after following up his opening-round 66, Stenson could only muster a 2-under 70 to improve to 7-under overall.

"I was talking to my parents yesterday and they said try and keep it going, don't think about your scoring and just look at the golf," Kaymer said. "But Henrik is obviously a really, really good player and he can easily play 7- or 8-under on this course like I did today."

Steve Webster, who followed up his opening-round 70 with a second-round 68, and Spain's Gonzalo Fdez-Castano sat a further shot adrift.

The overnight leader, Kaymer started on the front nine and was forced to settle for a birdie after hitting his approach shot to within seven feet.

He quickly picked up another stroke at the third with a long putt from over 20 feet before his only blemish came at the sixth after a poor second shot at the par-4.

But Kaymer then reeled off back-to-back birdies to reach the turn in 33 before quickly adding another at the par-5 10th with a six-foot putt.

An 8-iron approach shot at the 12th and equally impressive 8-iron into the 13th green led to two further birdies before sinking a perfectly judged 15-foot downhill putt at the 17th.

Stenson had made a storming start to his round with Kaymer's name glaring back at him at the top of the large leaderboards dotted around the Abu Dhabi Golf Club and was 3-under through four holes.

But after dropping his only shot of the round at the 469-yard par-4 fifth and reaching the turn in 34, the South African was unable to add to his tally.

"It was tricky, and I didn't play my best," Stenson said. "So I was quite happy to hang on to 7-under par.

"There is always the chance when one guy moves away from the field that they can come back. But I doubt he will, but there is always a possibility and I will do my best to move forward over these next two days."