ABU DHABI // Contesting his first regular European Tour event, there must be plenty of novel encounters for Bryson DeChambeau this week.
On Thursday, the American amateur had to deal with a first professional round in the UAE, since he was making his debut in the Abu Dhabi event.
By close of play, he knew what it was like to lead an elite tournament after shooting an excellent opening 8-under-par 64 and leaving in his wake world No 1 Jordan Spieth and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, to name just two.
Come early on Friday, DeChambeau added another new experience to the growing list.
Scheduled to tee off at 1:15pm, thick fog over the National Course delayed play by almost three hours and thus pushed back his start until 3:50pm. Having gone off so late, DeChambeau managed nine holes. He managed 1-under par, meaning he returns early on Saturday to complete his second round, one shot off the leader Andy Sullivan. That learning curve just got a little steeper, eh?
“I guess today’s simply a new experience,” DeChambeau said. “Having played only nine holes, waiting the whole day to play, it’s a little different for me. I’ve never had to do that before.”
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A dropped shot on the ninth, DeChambeau’s final hole as darkness descended and the horn halted play, understandably left him a bit rankled.
“That was kind of a killer, unfortunately,” said DeChambeau, who missed the fairway with his drive – a problem he confronted more than once. “If I hit it on the fairway on the last hole, I make birdie, no doubt about that. Just didn’t have my A-Game today.”
In truth, very few had. Sullivan’s 67 was the joint-best round of the day by those who got through the full 18, with 60 players still to finish Round 2.
Rafa Cabrera-Bello was the other to shoot 5-under, as the Spaniard continues his love affair with the UAE. In 2012, he triumphed at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. These climes obviously suit.
“Yeah, it feels like home,” said Cabrera-Bello, who comprises a four-way tie for third alongside Joost Luiten, Thomas Bjorn and Richard Bland.
“I like the sun, I like the gentle breeze and I like the palm trees. These courses, they are always in good shape, and they suit my game.”
The same should be said for Henrik Stenson. The world No 5 needs the Falcon Trophy to complete the Desert Swing set, having previously won the Desert Classic, the Qatar Masters and the DP Tour World Championship.
Yet Stenson went backwards in his second round, bogeying four of his front nine before coming off the course after the 12th hole.
Playing partner Martin Kaymer, a three-time winner in Abu Dhabi, fared better, swapping two bogeys with four birdies to begin his third round 5-under.
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