GOLD COAST, Australia, Nov 8 - U.S. Masters champion Adam Scott shot a four-under-par 67 on Friday to grab a two-stroke lead after the second round of OneAsia’s A$1.25 million Australian PGA Championship, presented by Coca-Cola.
Playing at home for the first time since winning the coveted green jacket in April, Scott is 10 under around the 6,747-metre (7,378-yard) RACV Royal Pines Resort course — two better than veteran David McKenzie (69) and three ahead of American overnight leader Rickie Fowler (72), New Zealander Gareth Paddison (67) and Aussie Nathan Green (69).
Indonesia's Rory Hie is still in a good position after a second round 70 puts him 7 shots off the lead in a share of 12th place. His countryman George Gandranata (76) had a harder time and for him the tournament is over finishing at 9-over in a tie for 123rd place in the 155 strong field.
While Australian golf now boasts 10 Major winners with 17 titles between them, the U.S. Masters eluded the nation until Scott prevailed in a tense play-off with Argentinian Angel Cabrera.
The 33-year-old has eschewed potentially millions in appearance fees and U.S. PGA Tour purses to take his Green Jacket on a month-long tour of the country that will include three other tournaments — the Australian Masters, the World Cup of Golf and OneAsia’s Emirates Australian Open from November 28 - December 1.
With Scott being fêted like a rock star and credited with sparking something of a boom in the game Down Under, the Australian Professional Golf Association campaigned for fans to “Go Green for Adam” on Friday, prompting thousands of spectators — and many of his fellow competitors — to dress in the colors of Augusta National to honor Scott, who was raised just a few kilometers down the road.
“It was nice to see everyone out there, so many people in green today,” said Scott. “That everyone embraced it, even the players, is really special for me. To think that my peers would do that … (it’s) so nice to see that they enjoyed seeing an Aussie win the Masters too.”
Scott is determined not to rest on his laurels, however, and says there is a glaring gap in his trophy cabinet for the Kirkwood Cup, awarded to the PGA Champion.
“I put a real focus on getting ready the best I could for this event and wanting to play well, so here I am in pretty good shape at the moment,” said Scott, who started par-birdie-eagle from the 10th hole on Friday.
“At the end of the day I'll hopefully not be having too much to chase tomorrow, but in with a good chance to win the Australian PGA and that's what I was focused on. This kind of mentality I've (now) got, of really putting a focus on something and going to get it and not just waiting for it to happen.”
After finishing his morning round, Scott stayed just long enough to hear Fowler — eight under after round one — grab a share of the lead with an audacious 100 meter (110-yard) chip-in eagle on his first hole, the 10th.
But the flamboyant American, whose first professional victory came at OneAsia’s Kolon Korea Open in 2011, couldn’t get it going after that and posted four bogeys offset by a sole birdie.
“Usually there's one tough round in a tournament when you have a chance to be in contention,” he said. “Hopefully that was the one that I got out of the way, and I have two good ones the next two days.”
Second-placed McKenzie, 46, has missed just one OneAsia cut all year as well as winning on the PGA Tour of Australasia in January and claiming a luxury car with a hole-in-one last month at the European Tour co-sanctioned Perth International.
Although he felt his game was at sixes and sevens leading into the championship, he said something clicked on the range on Wednesday and he was now playing with confidence.
“The bogey on the last was unfortunate. I just got the wind wrong,” he said. “But I’m really pleased to be where I am and I’ll give it everything this weekend.”
With the cut set at plus two, OneAsia Order of Merit title race leader Matthew Griffin comfortably made the weekend after posting a second 69.
Scores after the second round of the Australian PGA Championship, presented by Coca-Cola, being played at the 6,747-m par-71 RACV Royal Pines resort course:
132 - Adam Scott (AUS) 65-67
134 - David McKenzie (AUS) 65-69
135 - Rickie Fowler (USA) 63-72, Gareth Paddison (NZL) 68-67, Nathan Green (AUS) 66-69
136 - Steven Jeffress (AUS) 68-68, Josh Geary (NZL) 68-68
137 - Jason Scrivener (AUS) 70-67, Ashley Hall (AUS) 68-69
Selected:
139 - Rory Hie (INA) 69-70
151 - George Gandranata (INA) 75-76
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