Abu Dhabi Championship: Francesco Laporta takes the lead after a strong finish on day two
Francesco Laporta birdied his last five holes to bring the lowest round of the week so far. Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, day two leaderboard-10 F Laporta (Ita); -9 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), R Cabrera Bello (Spa); -8 S. Garcia (Spa), Li Haotong (Chn), R. Paratore (Ita); -7 L Westwood (Eng), L Oosthuizen (SA), K Kitayama, P Cantlay (both US), A Arnaus (Spa) Selected others: -6 D Law (Sco), B Wiesberger (Aut); -4 J Singh Brar, A Sullivan (both Eng), R Ramsay (Sco); -3 B Koepka (USA), T Fleetwood, O Fisher, R Fisher, A Chesters, J Senior (all Eng), D Drysdale (Sco)
Francesco Laporta from Italy finished his second round with five straight birds to make one – walk ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Matthew Fitzpatrick from England remained bogey-free through 36 holes with a 67 to get nine, but Laporta rushed home in 30 in his round of 63.
Rafael Cabrera Bello is also at nine, but Brooks Koepka slipped from two to seven shots of the lead.
The number one in the world is two in two after two double ships in a 75.
The American, 29, was in his first competition lap after three months with a knee injury opened with a 66
Italy & Renato Paratore led & # 39; s night with Shaun Norris of South Africa and is now two shots off the lead after shooting par but Norris is three on down with Koepka after a round of 77.
Fitzpatrick, 25, had the first winless season of his professional career in 2019, finished second five times, and is in contention for his first win since defending the European Masters in September 2018.
"For the first week of the year, to have no bogeys, I couldn't really ask for a better start," he said. "I just played really disciplined golf and it has worked well so far."
Laporta added: "Every time I went for birdie, I made it. When I got the chances, I took them. It was a great day."
English amateur Josh Hill, 15, defeated Koepka earlier this week in a friendly game and is six left after following his first round of 74 with a 76.
