Golf:Lee Westwood refused to concede defeat to a neck problem as the Abu Dhabi Championship continued today. England's world number two was in severe danger of missing the halfway cut after five bogeys in the first 12 holes of his second round.

But Westwood, grimacing as he swung, then produced a hat-trick of birdies and with a second successive level par 72 looked safely through to the weekend.

Not so defending champion Martin Kaymer, though. Winner of the title three times in the last four years, the world number four had opened with a 77 and improving four strokes on that on his return was never going to be enough to keep him alive in the event.

Westwood’s trainer Steve McGregor said: “Lee has come into the tournament with some tightness and that can radiate down his arm through the nerve.”

Leading the race for the first leg of the European Tour’s Middle East swing was young Dane Thorbjorn Olesen. The 22-year-old, three times a runner-up in his rookie year on the circuit last year, finished on seven under par, two ahead of Scotland’s former Open champion Paul Lawrie, Englishman Robert Rock and Swede Robert Karlsson.

Rory McIlroy, joint overnight leader with Karlsson, was amongst the later starters, but he was twice in sand on the opening hole. The second of them found a plugged lie and a bogey dropped him to four under, but playing partner Tiger Woods improved to three under with a six-foot birdie putt.

Sergio Garcia, playing with Westwood and Kaymer, was in a tie for the lead when he went to the turn in 32, but with a front nine containing eight pars and a bogey on the fifth for the second day running he had to settle for a 69 and four under aggregate.

Ireland’s three-major winner Padraig Harrington stood five under after four successive birdies at the start of the outward half, but then had a three-putt bogey on the short seventh.