McIlroy makes flying start

Rory McIlroy has today grabbed a share of the lead at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Having been among half of the 120-strong field who were unable to finish last night following an earlier hailstorm, the 19-year-old Irishman birdied the 15th and long 18th to match the opening 66s of Swedes Johan Edfors and Mikael Lundberg.

Setting off for his second round soon afterwards as the tournament tried to make up for the two hours lost, McIlroy then birdied the 417-yard 11th for the second day in a row to improve to seven-under-par.

World number two Sergio Garcia was five under until he missed two short par putts and dropped another stroke on the 17th and signed for only a 70, but he did match McIlroy’s birdie on the 11th to get back to three-under and joint 22nd.

McIlroy, who will be making his debut in the Masters at Augusta in April thanks to his charge up the world rankings on the back of making two play-offs late last year, was a shot ahead of not only Edfors and Lundberg, but also England’s Anthony Wall and South African Louis Oosthuizen.

Open and US PGA champion Padraig Harrington was round in 71 yesterday in what was also his first competitive round of the year.