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27 JANUARY 2023 - DP WORLD TOUR: Richard Bland and Ian Poulter were tied at the top of the leaderboard when the second round of the weather-disrupted 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic was suspended due to fading light on Friday.
An entertaining second day at Emirates Golf Club saw many of Thursday's starters return to complete their first rounds in the morning before the second wave began their campaigns.
The second round then got under way on Friday evening, with Englishmen Bland and Poulter reaching eight under par before the daylight ran out.
Angel Hidalgo was their nearest challenger on seven under, with Louis de Jager another shot further back alongside Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed, who will both start their second rounds on Saturday.
The tournament will now conclude on Monday, with the second round finishing on Saturday before the third and fourth rounds take place on Sunday and Monday respectively.
More than six hours were lost due to wet weather at Emirates Golf Club on day one, and after another delay of two hours on Friday, World Number One McIlroy finished his first round with a flourish.
He went birdie-eagle-birdie from the seventh to sign for an opening 66 and share the early clubhouse lead with Reed.
The second wave then got under way, with Swedish amateur Ludvig Aberg firing a 65 after recovering from a bogey at the first with eight birdies.
That saw the 23-year-old, who tops the World Amateur Golf Rankings, lead the way alongside Poulter at the end of the first round, but with round two commencing on Friday evening, it was not long before the leaderboard changed again.
Bland, who had shot a bogey-free 67 in his first round, opened the second round with three successive birdies to move to eight under, with Poulter birdieing the long third to join him.
Spaniard Hidalgo finished his first-round 66 with his only bogey but bounced back immediately with birdies on the first and third to climb to eight under before dropping a shot at the fourth.
An entertaining second day at Emirates Golf Club saw many of Thursday's starters return to complete their first rounds in the morning before the second wave began their campaigns.
The second round then got under way on Friday evening, with Englishmen Bland and Poulter reaching eight under par before the daylight ran out.
Angel Hidalgo was their nearest challenger on seven under, with Louis de Jager another shot further back alongside Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed, who will both start their second rounds on Saturday.
The tournament will now conclude on Monday, with the second round finishing on Saturday before the third and fourth rounds take place on Sunday and Monday respectively.
More than six hours were lost due to wet weather at Emirates Golf Club on day one, and after another delay of two hours on Friday, World Number One McIlroy finished his first round with a flourish.
He went birdie-eagle-birdie from the seventh to sign for an opening 66 and share the early clubhouse lead with Reed.
The second wave then got under way, with Swedish amateur Ludvig Aberg firing a 65 after recovering from a bogey at the first with eight birdies.
That saw the 23-year-old, who tops the World Amateur Golf Rankings, lead the way alongside Poulter at the end of the first round, but with round two commencing on Friday evening, it was not long before the leaderboard changed again.
Bland, who had shot a bogey-free 67 in his first round, opened the second round with three successive birdies to move to eight under, with Poulter birdieing the long third to join him.
Spaniard Hidalgo finished his first-round 66 with his only bogey but bounced back immediately with birdies on the first and third to climb to eight under before dropping a shot at the fourth.
