Jordan Spieth’s start misfires but Andy Sullivan already up to full speed

'Man, what am I doing wrong?'

(Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy was bang on the money. As he warned, the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship is not just about him and Jordan Spieth.

After a long lay-off, the second day at a golf tournament is a little like the rookie-footballer’s second season – a bit of a struggle. Not a birdie between golf’s power twosome on the outward nine of a round foreshortened by early-morning fog.

When McIlroy and Spieth walked off the course after 13 holes they stood at one over for the day, pegging the former back to five under par and the latter to three under.

After his worst stretch of holes since his rise to power a year ago, Spieth in particular will be hoping the spell breaks if he is to harass the leader, Britain’s Andy Sullivan, who posted a second successive 67 – from the right side of the draw – to stand 10 under par.

Spieth’s continuing struggles off the tee were compounded by iffy iron play, which in turn drained his energy on greens he seemed unable to read. Successive bogeys at the fourth and fifth were a measure of how deeply at odds he was with his game.

After yet another approach yanked wildly to the left, he was heard to ask his caddie, “Man, what am I doing wrong?” Not a question you expect from the world No 1. A birdie at the 10th eased his discomfort but he was not a happy man when he walked off the 13th green.

McIlroy shaved the cup repeatedly over the opening holes but lost his swing around the turn, his arm twice coming off the club. None of this is fundamental, more a consequence of not taking the clubs out of the bag for eight weeks.

No such trouble for Sullivan, for whom this is a third outing of the year already after opening with the defence of his maiden title in South Africa, and last week contesting the Eurasia Cup with Europe.

Starting at the 10th, Sullivan once again showed his dexterity around the greens, opening and closing his round with a hat-trick of birdies. “This time last year, I had already won but still felt a tournament of this magnitude, with the players, I would have to go some to do it,” Sullivan said.

“Coming in this year, I know if I bring any A Game, I’m going to have a good chance at being up there. It’s nice to do that, and obviously to go out there and actually put your A Game to the test is great.”

The overnight leader, American amateur Bryson DeChambeau, is one back on nine under par after completing just nine holes.

Ian Poulter shot a 69 to close on five under par while Darren Clarke, the Ryder Cup captain, made the cut on one under par after a round of 70. Lee Westwood will not be contesting the weekend. A second-round 76 took him to five over par, five strokes the wrong side of safety.