Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Tiger Woods posted a three- under 69 Friday to move within two strokes of the lead after two rounds of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Woods, who is playing this event for the first time, had five birdies and two bogeys in his second round. He ended 36 holes at five-under-par 139 and is tied for fourth place.
Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen fired a five-under 67 to move into the lead. He finished two rounds at seven-under-par 137 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Olesen is in his second full season on the European Tour and is still searching for his first victory on that circuit. He did have three second- place finishes last season.
Matteo Manassero had the low round of the day as he fired a seven-under 65. That helped him jump into a share of second place at minus-six. He was joined there by Gareth Maybin, who carded a two-under 70 on Friday.
Woods was joined in fourth place by first-round co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Robert Karlsson, who both shot 72 in round two, as well as Paul Lawrie (69), Robert Rock (70) and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (71).
World No. 1 Luke Donald managed an even-par 72 in the second round. He finished two rounds at one-under-par 141, where he was joined by former British Open champion Ben Curtis (71) and six others.
Two-time defending champion Martin Kaymer had a better round on Friday, but he still missed the cut by four shots. Kaymer posted a 73 to finish at six-over- par 150.
Woods opened with a six-foot birdie putt on the first, but gave that stroke back when he failed to save par from a greenside bunker on the par-four third.
After four straight pars, Woods got up and down from a bunker for birdie on the eighth. He birdied the 11th for the second straight round, and came right back with a four-foot birdie putt on No. 12 to move to minus-five.
Woods inched within one of the lead with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 15th. After driving into the rough on No. 16, Woods muscled his second shot into a greenside bunker. He again failed to get up and down.
That bogey dropped him two strokes off the lead, and that's where Woods ended after a pair of two-putt pars on the final two holes.
"I thought I played well. A lot of the things Sean [Foley] and I are working on are starting to feel very comfortable," Woods said of his swing coach. "But it's tough out there, the rough's getting deeper and more lush."
Olesen got off to a flying start with three birdies over the first four holes. He birdied the first, second and fourth, all for the second straight day.
He stumbled to a bogey on the fifth to slip back to minus-four. The 22-year- old Olesen poured in three straight birdie efforts from the eighth to soar into the lead.
Olesen got to eight-under with a birdie on No. 12, then parred five in a row before faltering to a bogey at the last.
"I really like this course. It's very tough and everything is good about it," Olesen said. "You need to be straight, you need to be a good putter, you need to be good all around your golf game, so I think it's a great test of golf."
NOTES: World No. 2 Lee Westwood battled through a sore neck to card his second straight even-par 72...The cut line fell at two-over-par 146 with 69 players advancing to the final two rounds...Among those missing the cut with Kaymer were Colin Montgomerie, Jason Day, Edoardo Molinari, Todd Hamilton, Alvaro Quiros and reigning British Open champion Darren Clarke.
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