Adam Scott of Australia plays a shot from a bunker on the fourth hole during the second round of the 95th PGA Championship in Rochester, New York, yesterday. (AFP)
Reuters/Rochester
Australian Adam Scott got a dreary day off to a bright start by surging into an early two-shot lead in yesterday’s second round of the PGA Championship.
The morning wave was greetedat stately Oak Hill Country Club bydark skies and pounding rain butthe soggy conditions did not prevent some contenders from getting off tohot starts.
Scott, the joint overnight leader alongside American Jim Furyk, teed off on the back nine in the worst of the conditions but picked up a birdie on his opening hole and another at the par-five 13th by rolling in a slippery 15-footer.
The Masters champion notched his third birdie at 16 but then missed a five-foot par putt at 17 that left him at seven-under for the tournament after nine holes, two shots clear of Furyk, who will be among the afternoon starters.
Briton Lee Westwood, widely considered the best player not to win a major, 2010 PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer of Germany and Canadian David Hearn were a further shot back.
Westwood, who has finished in the top three of golf’s elite events eight times, is in the thick of the title
chase again after dropping two early birdies before giving them back with two bogeys.
Kaymer was playing error-free golf through 10 holes to join Westwoodon four-under while Hearn had yet to tee off.
Tiger Woods, stuck in a five-year major-victory drought, will go off later in the day when he will try to
make amends for a sloppy opening round finish.
The heavy favourite coming into this week after romping to a seven-stroke victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, signed off with a double-bogey on his final hole for an unsatisfying one-over 71.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who is seeking to turn his game around after a poor season by his standards, was fighting to get above the projected two-over cut line after a horrendous start to his round.
The Northern Irishman’s play was as gloomy as the weather, mixing a double-bogey, three bogeys and a single birdie on his outward nine to leave at three over for the tournament and with plenty of work to do heading into the turn for home.
Austin penalised
American Woody Austin was docked four strokes during yesterday’s rain-hit second round for carrying an extra club in his bag for two holes.
Players are permitted to carry no more than 14 clubs and Austin discovered that he had 15 with him as he played the par-three third at Oak Hill Country Club.
The 49-year-old, a four-times winner on the PGA Tour, immediately declared the extra club out of play and reported the mistake to a rules official once he completed the third hole.
Under the rules of golf, “the player must not start a stipulated round with more than 14 clubs.” The penalty for a breach of this rule is two strokes for each hole where the extra club is carried in the bag.