Abu Dhabi championship at halfway stage

SCOTS COACH MAKES
A DIFFERENCE AS
PHILIP PRICE LEADS

Welsh Ryder Cup player Philip Price paid tribute to his Scottish coach Gary Nicol after shooting a nine-under-par 65 to take the halfway lead on 10-under 134 in the Abu Dhabi Championship in the United Arab Emirates.

Price, who dabbled with the US PGA Tour and a new coach, lost his American player's card and joined up again with Gary Nicol when he returned to Europe.

Philip, who is 40, finished in style with a brilliant 90yd wedge to within a few inches of the hole for a tap-in birdie.

In contrast, Padraig Harrington bogeyed the last for a 67 and will start the second half of the tournament one shot behind Price.

Paul Lawrie, who is now playing TaylorMade clubs instead of Callaway, matched the par of 72 but the Aberdonian dropped down from a share of fifth place to joint 18th on five-under-par 139, underlining the quality of play on the second day.
Alastair Forsyth, pictured right, from Paisley is the leading Scot in joint seventh place with a 71 and 66 for 137. That puts him in joint seventh place. Compatriot Gary Orr had a 68 for 138.
Par golf was not good enough to make the 36-hole cut. Only those players with tallies of one-under-par 143 advanced.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
(Gbr & Irl unless stated).
134 Phillip Price 69 65
135 Padraig Harrington 68 67
136 Nick O'Hern (Aus) 68 68, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 70 66, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 65, A Tadini (Italy) 70 66..0
137 Gary Emerson 67 70, Alastair Forsyth 71 66, Garry Houston 70 67, Richard Sterne (SAf) 70 67.
138 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 66 72, Gary Orr 70 68, Graeme Storm 68, 70, Retief Goosen (SAf) 66 72, Philip Archer 63 75, Nick Dougherty 66 72, Peter Hanson (Swe) 70 68.
139 Paul Lawrie 67 72, Paul Casey 71 68, James Kingston (Rsa) 71 68, Oliver Fisher 68 71, Richard Green (Aus) 67 72, James Hepworth 68 71, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 68 71, Chris DiMarco (US) 69 70, David Carter 71 68, Robert-Jan Derkson (Net) 70 69, Stephen Dodd (Wal) 69 70, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 70 69.
140 Robert Karlsson 73 67 (Swe), Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 69, Damien McGrane 72 68, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 69 71, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 68 72, Alvaro Quiros 70 70, Sergio Garcia 68 72, Colin Montgomerie 69 71, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 71 69, Gary Murphy 72 68, Brett Rumford (Aus) 70 70.
Other qualifiers included (143 and better):
143 Stephen Gallacher 70 73.
Non-qualifiers included:

145 Marc Warren 72 73
146 Andrew Coltart 73 73, Steven O'Hara 73 73
147 Scott Drummond 72 75
161 Craig Martin 82 79