McIlroy frustrated, Holmes leads by two
RORY McIlroy lost his cool while JB Holmes began and ended his day with ugly sixes, but produced some excellent golf in between for a twoshot lead after the WGC-Cadillac Championship’s second round in Miami on Friday afternoon.
Four strokes in front overnight after opening with a blistering 10under-par 62 on the daunting Blue Monster course, American Holmes followed up with a one-over 73 to retain control of the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event.
With danger and plenty of water lurking at almost every corner of the firm and fast-running layout, Holmes mixed five birdies with four bogeys and a double at the par-four 18th to post a nine-under total of 135.
Fellow American Ryan Moore was alone at seven under after a 71 with Australian Adam Scott – who is using a conventional short putter this week for the first time in four years – a stroke back with a 68.
Northern Irish world No 1 McIlroy, whose frustrations boiled over at the par-five eighth when he hurled his three-iron into a pond, regrouped to shoot a 70 and end the day eight strokes off the pace.
“You’re trying to shoot the best score possible and sometimes you do things that you wish you hadn’t,” McIlroy said after a round that included six birdies and four bogeys.
“Frustration got the better of me,” the 25-year-old said of his club toss after dumping his second shot into water. “I wouldn’t encourage kids to do it if they were watching on television. It wasn’t very role modelish of me.”
Holmes, a three-times PGA Tour winner, was unfortunate to bogey his opening hole, the par-five first, after hitting what seemed a superb second shot that rolled off the right edge of the green into water.
Though he also found water with his tee shot at the treacherous last to run up another six, he recorded five birdies in between to maintain his place atop the leader board.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, the top three players in women’s golf square off for the HSBC Champions title today, with South Korean Park In-bee holding a two-shot advantage over world No 1 Lydia Ko and American Stacy Lewis.
Five-times major winner Park put herself in prime position to claim one of the few titles missing from her glittering resume by producing a third bogey-free round of the week as she fired a four-under-par 68 on Saturday for a 13-under 203 total.
New Zealand teen Ko and world No 3 Lewis were tied at 11-under after both fired 67s.
Spaniard Carlota Ciganda, who shared the overnight lead with Park, slipped down into a tie for eighth after a two-over 74 left her at sevenunder for the $1.4m championship.
The tricky Serapong Course on Sentosa Island has tripped up many but the South Korean has negotiated her way around 54 bogey free holes in an exemplary display.