Overnight leader Marc Leishman has stayed solid and world No.1 Adam Scott has made a small surge midway through the second round of the World Golf Championship’s Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.
Leishman backed up his superb 64 from day one with a solid one-under-par 69, moving the Victorian to seven under, good enough to sit tied second, just one shot behind England’s Justin Rose, the 2013 US Open champion.
Rose carded a 67 to hit the top of the pile at eight under after the morning wave.
Scott, who shot one under on Thursday, made a small push up the boards with a 68 to move to three under and a tie for seventh.
South African Charl Schwartzel has two early birdies in his second round to join Leishman tied at seven under with American Rickie Fowler (67) fourth at six under.
Leishman looked set for a screaming start when he slotted his approach on the first hole inside three feet but, rather than notch up a birdie, he lipped the chance out hard and then missed a five-foot par putt to immediately lose his overnight one-shot buffer.
He slotted a bounce-back birdie on the next hole but once again dropped a shot after a tough bunker lie on the fourth.
More sand problems on the sixth earned another bogey but a birdie on the seventh was followed by another on the ninth, courtesy of a 37-foot bomb putt.
Another birdie on the 12th and some impressive scrambling pars over the back nine ensured he enters the weekend in contention.
“I was happy with the day. Sort of a bit of a heart starter on the first hole, a bit of a scare, but I played pretty good after that,” Leishman said.
“I feel like I’m playing well. It is a tough course. I guess the soft conditions are helping a little bit.
“But if you’re not hitting good shots, you can make bogeys pretty quick.”
Scott, playing the back nine first, traded two birdies with two bogeys before getting three birdies in a five stretch on the front side.
A final-hole bogey stunted his charge a little, leaving him five off the pace.
Matt Jones is one under with 12 holes remaining in his second round in his WGC debut while Steven Bowditch (71), also on debut, sits at even par.
John Senden is four over for the championship with 11 holes remaining in round two while Jason Day put a 71 in the books to be five over.
