Belgian Thomas Pieters has holed a bunker shot for a closing birdie and shot a second-round 65 to take a one-stroke lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson shook off the jet lag after his ragged opening-round 72 to shoot a bogey-free 8-under 64, tied for the low round of the tournament, and is four shots back.
"It was pretty easy for a 64. I did everything really well. I drove it well. I hit a lot of really good iron shots," Johnson said.
"Hit a lot of good putts that didn't go in the hole from pretty close range, but all day, I gave myself really good chances for birdies. Yeah, it was pretty stress-free."
Rory McIlroy, playing his first event since October, finished with an eagle on the par-5 18th and was three shots behind Pieters after a 66, in a group also containing Australia's Sam Brazel.
"I always struggle to read these greens, the color of them, and I feel like I'm hitting good putts and they are just sliding by the edges," McIlroy said.
"But it was nice, I stayed patient ... and it was nice to finish with a three, leapfrog a few guys and get myself into contention for the weekend."
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