Rory McIlroy returned to add two more birdies to his card to claim a share of the lead after completing his first round in Abu Dhabi.
Northern Irish youngster joins Swede at head of field
Rory McIlroy returned to add two more birdies to his card to claim a share of the lead after completing his first round in the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Along with nearly half the field, the 19-year-old was unable to finish his opening 18 holes on Thursday due to a weather delay.
However, the disruption did not affect him on Friday as he birdied the 15th and 18th to join Swedes Johan Edfors and Mikael Lundberg at the top of the leaderboard on six-under-par.
Hailstorms on Thursday had ensured play was held up for more than two hours leaving a backlog by the time a halt was called to proceedings shortly before nightfall.
But compatriots Edfors and Lundberg had made light of the difficult early conditions to assume the clubhouse lead following their 66s.
Edfors managed a to string together three straight birdies either side of the weather delay at the third, fourth and fifth and then repeated the feat at the start of his back nine by picking up strokes at ten, 11 and 12.
His only blemish of the day arrived with a bogey at the par-four 14th, but he quickly repaired the damage as he rolled in a 20-footer for birdie at the 16th and should have added another at the last only for a three-putt to see him forced to settle for a par-five.
Lundberg did not drop a single shot during the course of his 18 holes with four birdies arriving on the front nine as he turned in 32.
The 35-year-old then made further inroads by picking up shots at ten and 14 on the way home to claim a share of the lead.
The trio stand one shot clear of a group of five players; Oliver Fisher of England, Italian Francesco Molinari, Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden, Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa and Spaniard Ignacio Garrido - and also in-form Swede Peter Hanson and Englishmen Anthony Wall and Robert Rock who completed their first rounds on Friday.
Eight players are one stroke further back at four-under including defending champion Martin Kaymer and the world's leading amateur player, Danny Lee of New Zealand.
Struggle for major champs
It was a less productive day for major champions Padraig Harrington and Trevor Immelman who finished the day on one-under and level-par respectively.
Both men started their rounds at the tenth hole and Harrington kicked off his 2009 campaign with ten straight pars before finally rolling in a 15-footer for birdie at the second, his 11th.
He gave it back with a bogey at the sixth, but immediately responded with a birdie at the short seventh to ensure he finished the day under-par.
South African Immelman turned in a one-over 37 and, while he also had two birdies on the front nine, there was also a bogey-six at the second.
Sergio Garcia had looked poised to mount a serious challenge to the leaders as, following three birdies in his first five holes, he soared to five-under following a majestic eagle-three at the tenth.
However, the Spaniard's old putting woes made an unwelcome reappearance soon afterwards as he missed short putts at 11 and 12 to record back-to-back bogeys. On returning to finish his round on Friday he dropped a further shot at 17 to sign for a two-under-par 70.
Arguably the biggest surprise of the day was the four-over-par 76 of Gulf specialist Henrik Stenson.
The world number 12 boasts an enviable record in the Middle East, but appears to have all but ended his hopes this week after an erratic display - especially with his driver.
The Swede's woes were compounded by a triple-bogey seven at the 16th when he was penalised for playing the wrong ball from the rough.
