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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Shane Lowry won the Abu Dhabi Championship for the second time, but the Irishman has plenty of company on the leaderboard.
That includes his compatriot and major champion Padraig Harrington.
2019 champion Lowry shot a 6-under 66 to tie with Francesco Molinari and Min Woo Lee at 13-under overall Three rounds ahead.
Twelve players were within three shots of the tied leader, including Harrington, 51, who had a 64.
Lowry, who started the day three shots behind the leaders, eagled the par-4 sixth hole when he holed out from the fairway. He made five birdies and a bogey.
“The first game of the year, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said the 35-year-old Irishman. “My idea is that I’m going to try to give myself as many chances to win as possible and hopefully at some stage it will happen. I have a chance to go out there tomorrow and do something special so hopefully I can bring my past couple of days Bring the game, make some putts, you never know.”
Australian Lee had seven birdies and a bogey in his 66, culminating in a short fourth hole where he came close to a hole-in-one.
Molinari, the halftime co-leader, birdied the second and third holes, but after bogeying the fifth hole, the Italian hit a strong back-nine at the 10th and 18th holes Hole, shot 69.
“It’s definitely going to be a shootout tomorrow,” Molinari said. “There are a lot of people who have a chance.”
Scotland’s Grant Forrest, France’s Victor Perez and Sweden’s Sebastian Soderbergh were a shot behind.
Harrington, the three-time major champion, leads the foursome again.
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