Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai dazzle on day two to grab Abu Dhabi lead

First-round co-leader Fleetwood made a lightning-quick start on Friday as he opened with a hat-trick of birdies before going on to sign for a 66.

The two-time former winner and reigning FedEx Cup champion made a total of seven birdies, with his only bogey of the week so far coming on the 15th.

Joining Fleetwood on 14 under par was World Number 30 Rai, who fired a breathtaking albatross and five birdies in a flawless 64.

The pair sit two shots clear of nearest challengers Andy Sullivan, Nicolai Højgaard and Richard Sterne, with 2019 winner Shane Lowry among those another stroke further back.

Fleetwood said: "Really good day. I got off to the perfect start. Birdie, birdie, birdie.

"That was good, especially when you've had a good round the day before. They always say it's hard to follow up a good round with another good one, or a low one with another one.

"Starting well was really important. I just did a really good job. I hit a lot of good shots but a few times today I drove it into the rough and we read the lies really well.

"I felt like we did a great job of controlling the ball out of the rough, and that was really pleasing. I feel like I putted solid again. Six under was a very good score."

The highlight of Rai's round came at the par-five second, where he holed his approach shot from 218 yards with a six iron to land the rarest of birds.

"I think we had about 185 yards to the front. The wind was a little bit down off the left and that green is so fast, and slopes front-to-back, that anything pitching a few yards onto the green always gets down to the bottom," Rai said.

"I actually caught it a little bit clean off the face, the line was great. I think it probably pitched around the front edge and chased its way down there. We couldn't see it from back on the fairway, so it was a nice surprise."