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Thorbjorn & Gareth Set Pace in Abu Dhabi Championship

For a tournament with marquee first names like Luke, Padraig, Tiger and Rory, it's somewhat of a surprise to see Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark and Gareth Maybin of Northern Ireland atop the leaderboard after two rounds of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

The 22-year-old Olesen, one of the European Tour's top prospects who has yet to log a victory but had three runner-up finishes in his 2011 rookie campaign, has shot rounds of 70 and 67 for a 7-under 137. He's one shot ahead of Maybin (68, 70) - also seeking his maiden win, and young Italian, Matteo Manassero, who followed up a 73 with Friday's low second round, a 7-under 65 that involved only 21 putts.

Olesen carded seven birdies and two bogeys Friday, with his second bogey - much to his chagrin - coming on the par-5 18th. "It was a bit of a shame to finish with a bogey six at the last but overall I played really well," he told Sky Sports. "It's really difficult out there, when you hit it in the rough it's tough to get out. You really have to hit it in the fairway to get it close to the hole."

Seven players are tied for fourth at 5-under 139, two shots behind Olesen, including France's Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (68, 71), England's Robert Rock (69, 70), Scotland's Paul Lawrie (70, 69) and American Tiger Woods (70, 69).

Also in that group are first-round co-leaders Robert Karlsson of Sweden and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who both followed up their opening 67s with 72s.

Playing again in the same group as Woods and Luke Donald, McIlroy had an adventurous front nine. After a bogey on the first followed by a double on the par-4 third, the 2011 U.S. Open champion reeled off three birdies in his next five holes. "Obviously, that wasn't the best start, 3-over through three. I battled back really well to get it back to even-par after eight," McIlroy said.

But on the ninth, he received a two-stroke penalty for brushing sand away from in front of his ball as it sat off the fringe of the green.

Donald called him on the penalty. "I just brushed the sand and Luke was like, 'I don't think you can brush sand off the fringe,' " McIlroy said. "I'm like, 'Oh, yeah, you're right.' Just one of those things."

After making the turn in 2-over 38, he carded three birdies interspersed by a bogey to get back to even-par on the day. "Felt like I played the back nine well," McIlroy said. "Even-par, considering everything that happened out there today, is a decent score."

After making two birdies and the rest pars in his opening round, Woods had five birdies and a couple of bogeys Friday. "I thought I played well today," he said. "I made a couple putts here and there, but it was tough out there. The greens got a little quicker, a little bit drier and the rough is certainly getting deeper and more lush."

Woods is seeing his hard work with swing instructor Sean Foley paying off. "Certainly I have much more experience within the system, and I've grown to understand what Sean wants me to do and how my body is going to do those things and produce the numbers he wants me to produce," Woods said. "If you would have asked me (six to eight months ago) if I would understand the system as well as I do and the numbers I'm producing, I probably would have said no . . . Now I do and when we talk, it's very simple."

More big names in contention heading into the weekend are sitting at 4-under 140. The group includes three-time major champion Padraig Harrington (71, 69), 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (70, 70), Spaniards Sergio Garcia (71, 69) and Jose Manuel Lara (70, 70), and Brit Richie Ramsay (69, 71).

In his season debut, No. 1-ranked Donald has posted rounds of 71 and 72, while No. 2-ranked Lee Westwood has carded two straight even-par rounds and is tied for 40th.

Martin Kaymer, who's won this tournament three of the past four years, missed the cut of 2-over 146 after rounds of 77 and 73. Branden Grace, the winner in the past two events on the European Tour, is heading home after rounds of 75 and 73.

Also missing the cut is 2011 British Open champion Darren Clarke, whose 2012 struggles continued this week in the Middle East after rounds of 72 and 81.

For all the scores, visit http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2012/tournamentid=2012004/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y.

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