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SPORTS A19
Saturday 5 March 2016
Scott leads, McIlroy, Johnson chase at Cadillac Championship
TIM REYNOLDS year, the count is already Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, tees off on the third hole during the second round of the Cadillac
AP Sports Writer at 21 with the weekend left Championship golf tournament, Friday, March 4, 2016, in Doral, Fla.
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — A rare to go.
instance of Adam Scott Johnson shot a flawless Associated Press
seeming less than pleased 64, eight birdies and no
Friday came after his first dropped shots on the way
putt on the par-4 16th, to the best round of the
when he miscalculated the day. McIlroy shot a 65 for
speed and left the 30-foot- his share of second place
er well short. after two rounds, and Dan-
Of course, that was after ny Willett (66) was alone in
he drove the green on the fourth at 7 under.
315-yard hole and had to “I think the golf course is
merely settle for a two-putt fantastic,” Johnson said.
birdie. “It’s in great shape. The
Otherwise, there wasn’t greens are perfect. It’s not
much for Scott to dislike an easy golf course.”
during the second round McIlroy announced his ar-
of the Cadillac Champi- rival with a four-hole bar-
onship. His 6-under round rage of birdies on the front
of 66 got him to 10 under side, but the catalyst to
for the tournament and all that, he said, was what
put last week’s winner of came immediately before
The Honda Classic two that streak. Going with a
shots clear of Rory McIlroy left-hand-low grip this week
and defending champion on the greens, McIlroy
Dustin Johnson at the mid- made a testy 7-footer to
way point of the first World save par at the par-3 fourth
Golf Championships event hole — and that’s when
of the season. the run of birdies started.
“Overall, it was a lot of
good stuff,” Scott said. “There was a lot of big mo-
“Enough quality shots and mentum putts in there that
enough quality putts to ne- I have not been holing,”
gate a couple of mistakes McIlroy said. “So to see
out there, but they can those drop today and to
easily happen on this golf be as comfortable as I was,
course. So I’m glad there it feels really good and ob-
was enough of the good viously I’m very happy with
stuff to keep me up on where I’m at going into the
top and kind of setting the weekend.”
pace after halfway.” Phil Mickelson got to 9 un-
Scott made eight birdies, der at one point, leading
including three straight by three — until the two
on holes 15, 16 and 17 to shortest holes on the course
strengthen his grip on the led to his undoing.
lead. Mickelson three-putted
“I’m probably a little more from 55 feet for bogey on
relaxed this week leading the 191-yard 13th, and
going into the weekend made an enormous blun-
than if I hadn’t won last der at the 139-yard 15th by
week,” Scott said. putting his tee ball into the
water.
“A 36-hole lead doesn’t That led to double-bogey,
mean that much, unless the only one made on the
it’s by about 10. I could tee hole all day and essential-
off tomorrow and not be ly costing him nearly 2 1-2
leading. I’m going to have strokes against the rest of
to play a good couple of the field. Mickelson made
days and try to keep mov- a 5; on average, everyone
ing in the right direction else made 2.68.
while the conditions are al- “I just kind of lost my train of
lowing us to.” thought,” Mickelson said.
He’s right — with relatively “I’ll be fresh and ready for
gentle breezes, the Blue the weekend. I feel like I’m
Monster wasn’t exactly de- driving the ball extremely
fenseless but scores were well and my iron game is
there to be had Friday, as sharp. And even though
in the opening round. There that back nine wasn’t what
were 25 rounds where a I wanted, it was kind of an
player went under 70 at anomaly. It’s going to be a
Doral last year; so far this good weekend.”q
