Shane Lowry retains Abu Dhabi Championship ahead after second round 70

Shane Lowry recovered from two early shots to stay in the lead in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Championship second-round leaderboard-12 S Lowry (Ire); -11 L Oosthuizen (SA), R Sterne (SA); -10 L Westwood (Eng); -9 I Poulter (Eng), S Jamieson (Sco), T Lewis (Eng), S Kjeldsen (Den); -8 G Forrest (Sco), Green G (Mas), L Herbert (Aus), D Foos (Germany) Other selected: -7 B Kupka (USA); -6 E Pepperell (Eng), M Wallace (M), M Kaymer (Ger); -4 D Johnson (US); -3 T Fleetwood (R), R Fisher (Eng); -2 H Stenson (Swe), T Hatton (Eng) Full leaderboard

Shane Lowry from Ireland held the lead during the Abu Dhabi championship as a 70 gave him one lead over South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Richard Sterne.

After his opening of 10-under-par 62, Lowry, 31, lost the lead after two early bogeys but regrouped with four birdies when he finished at 12 under.

Lee Westwood of England is two behind in fourth place after a bogey-free 68.

Ian Poulter shares fifth in nine in a group, including fellow Englishman Tom Lewis and Scot Scott Jamieson.

Tommy Fleetwood, aiming for a third consecutive victory in the event, entrenched an 8-foot birdie putt to keep squeezing in the final two rounds on the cut of three below but European Ryder Cup pair Henrik Stenson and Tyrrell Leave Hatton on two below.

After bogeying the first, missed short putts on the sixth and 14th saw 2017 European number one Fl eetwood dropped further shots on the sixth and fourteenth before his close bird saw him survive. 19459002

US Open and American PGA champ Brooks Koepka is five off the pace after a 70 with a closing bogey while his compatriot and world number three Dustin Johnson is three further back after a scrappy 71.

Lowry happy after early & # 39; gruesome shots & # 39;

County Offaly man Lowry, three ahead & # 39; night, was pleased to maintain the lead after a nervousness began to see him bogey the second and third holes.

"I knew it would be a bit of a weird day today after I got such a low score yesterday," Lowry told Sky Sports after his 70.

"Some shots that I asked, were terrible, so I'm happy with the way I've recovered. "

Lowry equaled the course record with his flawless 10-birdie 62 on Wednesday, as he took advantage of 10 days of recent practice in Dubai spent with fellow countryman Paul Dunne.

Oosthuizen and Sterne both played rounds of 68, with the 2010 Open champion regrouping from consecutive bogeys on 10 and 11 to score three birdies in his last six holes.