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Singh seizes lead with Mickelson in hot pursuit in Ohio

Vijay Singh seized the lead at the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) Bridgestone Invitational on Friday, with Phil Mickelson hot on his heels at the halfway stage.

Both carded four-under-par 66, Singh’s effort putting him atop the leaderboard at seven-under 133, with Mickelson a stroke back on 134.

Neither Singh nor Mickelson has ever won a WGC event. The absence of Tiger Woods offers an improved opportunity for one of them to break through at this US$8 million tournament. Woods, a six-time winner here, remains sidelined after knee surgery.

Although Mickelson has not won a WGC event in 24 tries, he has won at Firestone, capturing the 1996 World Series of Golf, which was the forerunner of this tournament.

Out in the first group of the day, he took advantage of perfect morning conditions to pick up five birdies, before dropping a shot at his penultimate hole, the eighth.

He almost squandered another shot at his closing hole, but saved par with a 20-foot putt.

“It was a big putt, because I wanted to go into the weekend with a bit of momentum,” he said. “I didn’t want to bogey the last two, but that putt looked good and I felt I could make it.”

Singh and Mickelson were to be paired together in yesterday’s third round.
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