{"id":274156,"date":"2023-01-20T14:42:01","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T14:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/francesco-molinari-rediscovers-form-to-claim-share-of-lead-in-abu-dhabi\/"},"modified":"2023-11-29T18:58:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T18:58:22","slug":"abu-dhabi-hsbc-championship-2023-r2-francesco-molinari-rediscovers-form-to-claim-share-of-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/abu-dhabi-hsbc-championship-2023-r2-francesco-molinari-rediscovers-form-to-claim-share-of-lead\/","title":{"rendered":"Francesco Molinari rediscovers form to claim share of lead"},"content":{"rendered":"
Francesco Molinari\u2019s welcome resurgence gathered pace as the former Open champion claimed a share of the lead in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.<\/p>\n
A second consecutive 67 at Yas Links gave Molinari a halfway total of 10 under par matched only by compatriot Guido Migliozzi, who birdied his final three holes to return a 69.<\/p>\n
Molinari won three times in 2018, including the Open at Carnoustie and BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, before becoming the first European player to compile a perfect 5-0 record in that year\u2019s Ryder Cup.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 40-year-old also held a two-shot lead with seven holes to play in the 2019 Masters before hitting his tee shot on the 12th into Rae\u2019s Creek, and has not had a top-three finish in a strokeplay event since winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational a month earlier.<\/p>\n However, Molinari was unbeaten in captaining Continental Europe to victory in the Hero Cup win last week and recovered from dropping three shots in two holes to mark six birdies in an inward half of 30.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0very pleased,\u201d Molinari said. \u201cSame score as Thursday but very different day. Many more ups and downs than yesterday. A couple of three-putts, a couple of mental errors but also lots of good stuff, a couple of long putts made.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously a very good back nine, which is nice. I think where I\u2019m at at the moment, when you go through a tough patch, it\u2019s nice to see that I can pick it up again.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to get ahead of myself. It\u2019s a couple of good rounds but I know, I\u2019m aware of where I\u2019m coming from. The game feels different. I think it looks different, too. But yeah, it\u2019s just two rounds, so a long way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What a way to finish @F_Molinari<\/a> 👏#ADGolfChamps<\/a> | #RolexSeries<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TWlNpm4Av3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 20, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n