Abu Dhabi, Nov 8 (IANS) Shubhankar Sharma (71-73) was way down in Tied-66th place in a field of 70 players at the halfway stage of the Abu Dhabi Championship. Sharma, who had five birdies against four bogeys in his first round 71 had three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in the second round 73.

Paul Warring produced a stunning 11-under 61, one better than the record set by first-day leader Tommy Fleetwood who had a 62 a day earlier in the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship.

That helped Warring take lead at 19-under and he was five shots clear of four players, Fleetwood (62-68), Johannes Veerman (63-67), Thorbjorn Olesen (63-67) and Niklas Norgaard (65-65), who were all at 14-under.

On Day 1, Fleetwood carded a course record-equalling ten under par 62 to take the first round lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs and penultimate event of the 2024 Race to Dubai.

The Englishman, already a two-time winner of this tournament after claiming back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018, carded eight birdies and an eagle on a low-scoring day at Yas Links to sit one stroke ahead of former Ryder Cup teammate Thorbjørn Olesen and America’s Johannes Veerman.

The 33-year-old, a seven-time DP World Tour winner, was four under after just three holes as he started birdie, eagle, birdie, and he made six further gains as he signed for his bogey-free round, rolling in a final birdie at the last to take the outright lead.