American Hunter Mahan held a one shot lead over German world No. 1 Martin Kaymer and Italian Francesco Molinari following the second round of the WGC Cadillac Championship in Doral on Friday.
The 28-year-old Californian posted a solid one-under-par 71 to follow up his impressive 64 Thursday.
Kaymer, composed and as tidy as ever, was bogey free as he shot a 70 and he looks well placed to keep hold of his top spot in the ranking given Britain’s Lee Westwood — who can return to No. 1 with a win here — is nine shots off the lead.
Photo: AFP
Westwood, who was grouped with Kaymer, shot two over on Friday.
One player Kaymer will be wary of, this weekend at least, is Molinari, who moved up the leaderboard with a four-under-par 68 built around some excellent work around the greens.
Scotland’s Martin Laird also put himself in contention moving to seven-under-par overall, along with Americans Matt Kuchar, Nick Watney and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.
Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods, now ranked 5th, had another frustrating day shooting two-over-par to end on even par, nine shots off the lead.
The 14-times major winner had two embarrassing moments — hitting a woeful 122 yard drive on the second hole, not even reaching the ladies tee, and then skying with a three wood off the 14th tee, making just 188 yards.
Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, who had been a shot off the lead after the completion of the first round on Friday morning, shot four over par with four bogeys and a double-bogey.
With the news of the tsunami from his homeland having emerged in the morning, Ishikawa said it had been a testing day.
“I tried my best to block everything out but as you can imagine it has been a tough day,” he said.
PUERTO RICO OPEN
REUTERS, RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO
American Chris Tidland fired an impressive nine-under-par 63 on Friday to join compatriots James Driscoll and Troy Matteson at the top of the leaderboard of the Puerto Rico Open on Friday.
The 38-year-old Californian, seeking his maiden PGA Tour win, said he was enjoying the greens after going bogey free on Friday for a 10-under-par total of 134 after two rounds.
“I had a lot of great looks from three to 12 feet and I made a lot of them today,” Tidland said. “These greens are in such good shape and there’s not a whole lot of break around the hole ... you can make some putts and I fortunately did.”
Matteson made a second successive 67, while overnight leader Driscoll blew his chance of the outright lead when he double bogeyed the par-five 15th.
Canadian Stephen Ames and Americans George McNeill and Hunter Haas were tied in fourth.
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