AP – A quadruple-bogey nine by world No.2 Adam Scott wiped out an early birdie charge by the Australian during Friday’s second round of the HSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai.

Scott had been making a big run at leader Graeme McDowell early in the second round with four birdies in seven holes to get within two shots of the lead.

However, one stroke set off a chain reaction of bad shots.

Scott drove well left into the water hazard on the 603-yard eighth hole and had to take his drop on one of the forward tees.

He tried to reach the green in two, came up short in the gnarly rough and his pitch over the creek tumbled off the green and into a hazard against a large rock.

Scott took another penalty drop and went to the other side of the creek again, pitched on, and took two putts for a quadruple-bogey nine, effectively erasing his four birdies.

Then, he put his approach in the water on the ninth and took double-bogey. He had to scramble for a 72 to finish eight shots behind at the halfway mark.

Scott is tied 15th on 142 after round of 70 and 72, while fellow Australian Mark Leishman is tied 21st on 143 after shooting 72 and 71

McDowell, meantime, fired his second five-under-par 67 – a bogey-free round to build a three-shot lead over a resurgent Ian Poulter (137) going into the weekend.

While the Northern Irishman wound up in the rough more often than he would have liked and didn’t hit the ball as cleanly with his irons, his putter came to the rescue.

Masters champion Bubba Watson birdied his last five holes for a 67 to be four shots behind on 138, along with Japan’s Hiroshi Iwata who had a 65.

“I missed a lot more fairways,” said McDowell who was at 10-under 134. “My putter obviously is in good form, and I hung in there. I’m right where I want to be.”

Jordan Spieth, with a triple-bogey and a double-bogey, fired a 74 – 10 shots behind.

Rickie Fowler opened with 14 straight pars, added a few birdies and shot 70 to reach five-under 139, along with Tim Clark (70), Jonas Blixt (68) and Kevin Na (68).