Rookie Kaymer stays in control

German youngster Martin Kaymer insists he will not back off over the weekend as he seeks a maiden European Tour title at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

The 23-year-old remains on course for just that after opening up a six-stroke lead over Ryder Cup winner Henrik Stenson at the midway point of the €1.35 million event.

The European Tour Rookie of the Year followed up his impressive opening six-under-par 66 with a sublime second-round 65, to move to 13 under overall, and continues to leave the all-star field at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club in his wake.

World number eight Adam Scott, the highest-ranked player at the tournament, can only look on from two under following a second-round 74, while Open champion Padraig Harrington remained at level par after carding a second 72.

Darren Clarke matched Harrington with a pair of 72 to also be level at the halfway point. Rory McIlroy also made the cut on level par after today's 71.

Best of the Irish at this stage is Meath's Damien McGrane, who is tied 18th on two-under after a 72. Paul McGinley (71) and Peter Lawrie (70) also made the cut on one-under.

Of the eight Irishmen in the field only Graeme McDowell and Gary Murphy missed the cut. McDowell shot a second successive 73 to miss by two shots, while Murphy's 73 left the Kilkenny man three-over.

As for Kaymer, who spent his off-season practising in America, he is picking up where he left off in 2007 after he finished no lower than 32nd in his last six events, which included a seventh place at the Portugal Masters and sixth-place finish at the season-ending Volvo Masters on his way to 41st on the Order of Merit.

"I will stick to my game-plan, definitely. I try not look at the leaderboard but sometimes you have to, you see the big board there and you see your name up there," said world number 76 Kaymer, who is aiming to break into the top 64 to earn his place at next month's Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

"I was looking at the scoreboard over the first nine holes and then talking to my caddie. I said: 'I think we are not too bad night now.'

"I didn't look at the scoreboard on the last nine because I didn't want to know, I just tried to keep going and make more birdies.

"I just tried to keep going like yesterday. My driving wasn't as good as yesterday but it was still okay. My bad shots were still in good enough positions that I could go for the flag."

Kaymer had a career best second-place finish at August's Scandinavian Masters, where he let slip a shared three-stoke lead heading into the final round.

But despite his success, Kaymer was openly critical of his short game, after insisting the chip on the sixth which led to his only bogey of the day "was one of my worst chips ever".

He was also unhappy after reaching the fringes of the final green in two but only managing a par five.

"I actually wasn't playing as well as yesterday but my putting was better. On these greens it's hard to make long putts but I made a couple today and that's why I played well today," he added.

"I was very nervous on the first tee yesterday but today I was totally relaxed."