What was a dream hole on Thursday, when Ludvig Åberg sunk his tee shot from 167 meters, instead became a nightmare hole the next day. The Swede hit his tee shot into the water and ended up having to write a five on the scorecard after what he himself notes was “not the best swing of the day.”
"If yesterday was the best I can do, today was the worst I can do. It was definitely played like a different hole today, a little longer and a different wind," Åberg says in a clip that DP World Tour posted on X.
Åberg, who had made four birdies and a bogey so far, later recovered with an eagle and a birdie. The end was then just as sad as in the first round. Åberg made a bogey on hole 18, a par 5, and after rounds of 68–69 (total –7) he is tied for 24th and has a good way to go to the top.
Alex Norén had a more enjoyable end to his round, with two straight birdies. 65–69 (total –10) placed him as the best Swede, tied for tenth ahead of this weekend's continued play in Abu Dhabi.
At the top, it's double English. Aaron Rai, who made a rare albatross (three under par on one hole) in the second round, leads together with Tommy Fleetwood at –14.
The competition in Abu Dhabi is the first of two in the playoffs on the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour.
