Scott trails leaders by two at halfway stage of Australian PGA
Saturday, 13 December 2014 00:00
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(Reuters) - Expectant father Adam Scott shot a three-under-par round of 69 on Friday to close within two shots of the lead at the halfway stage of the Australian PGA championship.
Scott, who revealed before the start of play that his wife is pregnant with their first child, followed up his opening-round 68 to head into the weekend at seven-under-par.
That left the world number three alone in third place, just two strokes behind his fellow Australians Wade Ormsby and Scott Strange, who finished at nine-under.
American Boo Weekley, who led overnight after the first round was suspended because of thunderstorms, fired an even-par 72 to remain at six-under but dropped back to fourth place on a heavily congested leaderboard.
Six players, including Nick Cullen, who beat Scott by a shot to win last month’s Australian Masters, ended the day at five-under while a total of 44 players were under par.
Conditions on day two were perfect at the Royal Pines Resort Queensland, near where Scott was raised, and the defending champion made four birdies but gave back a shot with a bogey at the par-four 13th hole.
“I really want to finish this off with a win and hang on to trophy this year and go into next year feeling a little bit chuffed with myself,” Scott told reporters.
“It was really solid golf from tee to green today, just a bit frustrated not to take advantage of a few more of the holes.”
Ormsby and Strange had contrasting rounds. After making a bogey on his opening hole, Ormsby made an eagle at his third, the par-five 12th, then reeled off four birdies in a row from the 14th.
He made another birdie on the third hole, his 12th, then made a late bogey for a round of 67.
Strange produced the round of the day, a flawless six-under-par 66. He made a solid start, with two birdies on his front nine, before picking up four more on the run home, including one on his last hole to join Ormsby in the lead.
“I think we got the right side of the draw with the storms and that rolling in yesterday and this morning with the rain,” said Strange.
“So I took advantage of it and played nice today.”
