Spieth and McIlroy struggle as Fowler finds putting stroke on Day 2 at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

The Big Three ended their opening 18 holes on a combined score of 12 under-par. By the time dusk had drawn a veil on Round 2, they had managed a measly 1-under between them over 13 holes, writes Paul Radley.

Rickie Fowler, right, of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walk in the field during the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on January 22, 2016. / AFP / KARIM SAHIB

ABU DHABI // The Big Three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship had finished Thursday jovially discussing what fun they had had in alliance.

Pitched together for a truncated second day, caused by heavy early morning fog, they stepped off the course in the gloaming grinning again. Only this time, for the two lead stars of the ensemble cast at least, the smiles were more like hybrid-grimaces that spoke of gallows humour.

Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler had ended their opening 18 holes on a combined score of 12 under-par. By the time dusk had drawn a veil on Round 2, they had managed a measly 1-under between them over the course of 13 holes.

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And that was almost exclusively thanks to the efforts of Fowler and his toasty putter.

The Californian was 3-under for his round while the other two – the world’s first and third best golfers – had contributed just the one birdie.

Such was the errant play of McIlroy, who registered two bogeys and only pars besides, and Spieth, the round had elements of slapstick to it at times. At the ninth, Spieth’s tee shot was bound for the water on the far side of the dog-leg, but was fortuitously kept in play by a cowering spectator’s backside.

Earlier, when the Texan’s approach to the fifth green failed to zero in close enough to the pin, his frustration was immediately vented to Michael Greller, his caddie.

“What am I doing, bud? What is that?” he turned away and asked, before his ball had even landed.

McIlroy, too, was moved to volubly question what exactly was going on, when his penultimate shot of the day was interrupted by the sound of the horn signalling the close.

“Seriously, though?” the Northern Irishman said with a smirk after having a siren sounding midway through his putting stroke at the 13th green. “How about a warning?”

At least no major harm had been done to the scorecard by the time bad light stopped play on a day of surprisingly slow scoring, with 60 players still left to finish Round 2.

With the cut projected at 1-under presently, none of the famous trio seem in realistic danger of missing out, and each remains in striking distance, given their capabilities. McIlroy and Fowler start today tied for ninth on 5-under, while Spieth is tied for 26th, two shots back.

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