Abu Dhabi HSBC Chp: McIlroy, under threat from Hatton and Fleetwood

This first Rolex Series of the season, and the very first tournament of fiscal year 2021 on the European Tour, keeps all its promises.

Eighteen holes from the finish, Rory McIlroy, world No. 6, takes control of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at -13 (203).

His 67 (-5) of the day, particularly strong with an extraordinary eagle on the par 5 of 10, allows him to lead by one point the ex-leader at the halfway point, the Englishman Tyrrell Hatton.

The world n ° 9, playing partner of the Northern Irishman in this Moving day, was clearly less to his advantage than during the first two laps, alternating the good passages (two birdies on the return and several clear chances) and the less good (two bogeys in three holes between 5 and 7).

A third thief came to rise almost to the height of the two men.

This is the double winner of the event in 2017 and 2018, Tommy Fleetwood.

After a difficult start (71 Thursday), the former winner of the French Open version Rolex Series (in 2017), has aligned two 67s in a row, conceding only one bogey over 36 holes (at the 15th today) ).

Rory hole-out from 73 yards!

# ADGolfChamps # RolexSeriespic.twitter.com / yQWKVIDVKu

- The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 23, 2021

These three will undoubtedly engage in a fierce fight for the final victory this Sunday, McIlroy, still looking for a first success here in eleven appearances, and Hatton being again partners in the last part (from 12:45 local, 9.45 a.m. in France).

“I don't want to start tomorrow (Sunday) telling myself that it's my turn, tempers at the microphone of the European Tour the one who finished four times second here in Abu Dhabi.

I'll just play the best I can.

While continuing to hit the ball as well as possible, as was the case in the last nine holes today (Saturday).

If I can do it, by giving myself maximum chances, then I will have a real opportunity to win.

It has been very windy since the start of the tournament.

It is a different type of golf than what we are used to playing in Abu Dhabi, where the wind is generally light.

You feel like you have a chance on every hole but once on the green the putts take longer to negotiate… It went well for me today.

I had, of course, a big stroke of luck on the 10 where my ball hit the flagpole and returned.

But other than that, I played pretty well.

I drove much better on the last nine holes… And that clearly motivated me to finish well… ”

Hole-in-One Alert @alexlevygolfwins the BMW 850i @bmwgolfsport! # ADGolfChamps # RolexSeriespic.twitter.com / iFNigvPO2z

- The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 23, 2021

Very smart, however, who could already announce the name of the man who will succeed veteran Lee Westwood, defending champion for another 24 hours.

Seven players are in effect in five moves.

The American David Lipsky and the Scottish Marc Warren, fourth at -10 (206), are thus in ambush, as are the Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello and the Australian Jason Scrivener, respectively sixth and seventh at -9 (207 ) and -8 (208).

Even those ranked just behind, at -7 (209), can still believe it.

This is the case for the best French leader for the moment on the leaderboard, Mike Lorenzo-Vera (8th ex-aequo), very solid with his 68 (-4) without the slightest error.

In 2015, Gary Stal, another French golfer, was eight strokes behind the leader (namely the German Martin Kaymer) to win to everyone's surprise.

So why not ?

Still in the blue-white-red clan which placed eight of its own in this weekend at the end of the cut on Saturday morning, we find just behind Lorenzo-Vera the inevitable Victor Perez, 34th player in the world, 16th at -6 (210), followed in 22nd position at -5 (211) by Victor Dubuisson, Alexander Levy, author of a magnificent hole in one on the par 3 of 15 which allows him to afford a very nice German car, and Romain Langasque, in the hard with his 74 (+2).

Further on, beyond 40th place, we finally find Antoine Rozner (42nd at -2), Benjamin Hébert (52nd at -1) and Julien Guerrier (56th in par).