Red-hot Scott continues to fire at Blue Monster
FIVE days after clinching his 12th PGA Tour victory, red-hot Adam Scott charged into the second-round lead at the WGCCadillac Championship in Miami late on Friday afternoon.
The Australian, who won the Honda Classic last Sunday, birdied three of his final four holes at the difficult Blue Monster course at Trump National Doral Resort to complete a six-under-par 66 for a 36-hole total of 10-under 134.
Scott is two shots in front of fellow longhitters Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson.
“There is momentum and it’s a huge factor,” Scott said. “The trick is to figure out how to use it, how to maintain it and keep it going from week to week. So far this week I’ve done a good job. Now the weekend is a different animal. The leader board looks great. It’s going to be exciting, and at the moment the course is producing good scores.”
Scott, 35, made eight birdies and two bogeys and said he fed off the terrific play of playing partner Johnson. The American posted the low round of day at 64, thanks to a scorching, five-under tour of the back nine. “I’ve been playing really well,” said Johnson, who opened with a 72. “I just never really got out of position.”
World No 3 McIlroy required only 23 putts in his second-round 65, using 10 fewer putts than on Thursday.
The Northern Irishman altered his putting grip earlier this week from conventional to left-hand low, and the move reaped dividends in the second round. “It’s felt really comfortable, it really has,” McIlroy said. “I’ve done it before in my rookie season on the European Tour in 2008.”
American Phil Mickelson was in the lead at nine-under with four successive birdies from the fifth hole, but he gave those shots back with two bogeys and a double-bogey in his final six holes to register a 72 and sits at five-under tied for seventh with England’s Paul Casey.
Englishman Danny Willet was alone in fourth at seven-under after a 69, one stroke ahead of double Masters winner Bubba Watson and Charley Hoffman, while world No 1 Jordan Spieth was tied for 12th.
Meanwhile in Singapore, Jang Ha-na will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the $1.5m HSBC Women’s Champions after the in-form Korean edged ahead yesterday to remain on course for a second LPGA title in her last four starts.
Jang shot a four-under-par 68 to move to 12-under for the tournament, one ahead of Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum and two clear of joint overnight leader Lee Mi-rim and Amy Yang as Koreans filled three of the top four spots on the leader board.