The first-round pretenders are gone.
The big names, the major stars of the WGC Cadillac stepped to the forefront Friday at Doral and last week’s winner at the Honda, Adam Scott, led the parade. Scott came up with eight birdies to help him shoot 66 and get to 10-under par. It gave him a two-shot lead over two big names.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson put on a display of power off the tee and sparkling iron play that yielded eight birdies and the best round of the tournament — 64. He’s at eight-under with Rory McIlroy. “Yesterday I really struggled,” Johnson said. “I was all over the map. I was everywhere you didn’t want to be but I hung in there. Today I hit it a lot better, wedged and putted it well.”
McIlroy, like Johnson, overcame a sloppy first day and sharpened his game up on Friday and it paid off. “I just felt like I needed to do the same things (as Thursday). I made a lot of good putts — par putts, momentum putts. A great start and a great finish,” said McIlroy, who rolled in a 14-footer for birdie at his finishing hole, the 18th. “I didn’t wanna be too far back going into the weekend.”
McIlroy blew past his high-profile playing partners. Jordan Spieth missed a short par putt at 18 to shoot even par and stay at three-under. Jason Day’s 74 left him a full dozen shots off Scott’s lead.
McIlroy will play in the final group with Scott on Saturday.
Danny Willett, who finished second to McIlroy at the European Tour’s Race To Dubai last season, is alone at seven-under.
Bubba Watson got in the mix and he’s in a six-under par.
Phil Mickelson had what looked to be a great chance to emerge as the 36-hole leader. Mickelson rattled off four straight birdies on his front nine and shot 32. But in true “Phil The Thrill” fashion, he crashed and burned on the back nine. Two bogeys and a double-bogey at the incredibly easy par three 15th put him back where he started the day — five-under par.
Mickelson hurt himself on the 139-yard 15th when his tee shot hit on the green’s bank and rolled back in the water. He caught his chip heavy and walked off with a five. He’s still in striking distance of Scott going to the weekend.
Scott has carried his momentum from last week over to the first two days.
“I was kind of hanging on DJ’s coat-tails,” Scott said of his playing partner, Johnson. “He played beautifully.”
Scott acknowledged his momentum.
“There is momentum,” he said. “So far this week, I’ve done a good job. The weekend is a different animal,” the tall Aussie said.
“It’s going to be exciting.”
