Rahm and Hatton join Laporta at Abu Dhabi summit

Ryder Cup team-mates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton reeled in Francesco Laporta to share the lead heading into the weekend at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship.

Italian Laporta had led after a brilliant 62 on day one but a 70 in round two at Yas Links left the door ajar and close friends Hatton and Rahm took advantage.

Hatton carded a 65, two shots fewer than Rahm, and the pair will now both head into the weekend at 12 under alongside Laporta looking for a record sixth Rolex Series victory.

Rory McIlroy is hoping to join them on five and he carded a 63 to sit one shot back alongside Pole Adrian Meronk and English pair Sam Bairstow and Matt Jordan.

The Northern Irishman is also hunting an eighth Race to Dubai title and with leader Eugenio Chacarra back on three under, he is well positioned to advanace his cause on that front.

Hatton was a winner of this event in 2021 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club but seems equally at home at Yas Links with a second and two other top tens in four starts.

The Englishman birdied his first two holes and then made four in a row from the sixth to turn in 30.

Further gains followed on the 11th and 13th as he hit the front on his own but a bogey on the 16th dropped him back closer to the pack on a day where several players had held a share of the lead.

"Really happy how I've played," he said. "Obviously, there's been a couple of mistakes. But overall, compared to where I've been at over the last month and a half, it's nice to put a couple of decent scores together again."

Event debutant Rahm went out in the final group of the day and was soon in front with birdies on the second, third and fifth.

He then made four birdies and three bogeys in a roller coaster next seven holes before a two-putt gain on the last put him back on top.

"Pretty good play," he said. "Only thing to take back would be just a couple of bad tee shots right now, feeling fairly comfortable otherwise.

"Just there's been a couple of swings off the tee that were unexpected. But hopefully I can fix that, but otherwise the play has been lovely.

"I'm really looking forward to (the weekend). This part of the world has treated me very well, and I'm hoping I can do on the weekend what I've already done."

Laporta had a roller coaster of his own as he bogeyed the third but then made a hat-trick of birdies from the seventh.

He made a bogey-birdie start to the back nine and while a double on the 14th could have derailed his round, he picked the shots back up on the 15th and last.

"End of the day, it was a good day," he said. "I didn't start very well, I was one over after six. Then I made three birdies in a row, a few mistakes on the back nine, but few really in the last four.

"I'm quite happy about how I finished but still a lot of golf to play."

Meronk and Jordan both carded rounds of 67, one shot fewer than Bairstow, to sit a shot ahead of Spaniard David Puig and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.