Lowry, Molinari and Lee share lead at Abu Dhabi Championship

Seattle Sports

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Shane Lowry moved into position to win the Abu Dhabi Championship for a second time but the Irishman has plenty of company on a stacked leaderboard.

That includes, out of nowhere, his compatriot and fellow major winner Padraig Harrington.

Lowry, the 2019 champion, shot 6-under 66 to tie for the third-round lead Saturday with Francesco Molinari and Min Woo Lee at 13-under overall.

There were 12 players within three shots of the joint leaders and among them is the 51-year-old Harrington, who shot 64.

Lowry, who began the day three shots off the lead, eagled the par-4 sixth when he holed out from the fairway. He added five birdies and one bogey.

“First tournament of the year, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” the 35-year-old Irishman said. “My thing would be I try and give myself as many chances to win as I can and at some stage hopefully it happens. Tomorrow I’ve got a chance to go out there and do something special, so hopefully I can bring the game that I brought the last few days and roll a few putts in as well and you never know.”

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Australian Lee made seven birdies and one bogey in his 66, with the highlight coming at the short fourth as he almost made a hole-in-one.

Molinari, co-leader at the halfway point, had birdies at the second and third but bogeyed the fifth before staging a strong back nine that saw the Italian pick up shots at the 10th and 18th to shoot 69.

“Definitely it’s going to be sort of a shootout tomorrow,” Molinari said. “There’s loads of guys with a chance.”

Grant Forrest of Scotland, Victor Perez of France and Sebastian Söderberg of Sweden are one shot off the lead.

Harrington, a three-time major champion, is in the four-strong group another stroke back.

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