FP – Adam Scott is well poised at the halfway point of the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in China, but red-hot South African Louis Oosthuizen stole the show with a 63 on Friday to lead by five shots.
The Australian carded an impressive four-under par 68 in the second round in an up-and-down round at the $US7 million ($A6.76 million) event at Mission Hills in the southern city of Dongguan.
Scott, who had shared the first-round lead with Oosthuizen, played a sumptuous front nine studded with four birdies but he stumbled on his return with three bogeys and another three birdies.
“I played OK today – I got off to a good start but on the back nine I missed a few greens and I had to scramble, and it’s tough when it’s fast around the greens,” said Scott, who shares second place with Ernie Els after matching his fellow South African Oosthuizen’s 63.
Oosthuizen picked up six shots in just five holes on the way to a brilliant nine-under round to move to 16-under for the tournament.
An eagle on the par-five seventh sparked a blazing run from the 2010 British Open winner, who went on a four-hole birdie streak.
Oosthuizen birdied the par-three eighth, escaped out of a bunker to within a foot on nine, drained a 20-footer on 10 and then chipped to an unmissable distance on 11.
Two more birdies on 15 and 16 completed a pleasing day’s work for the 30-year-old, who now has great chance of recording his sixth win and the second biggest of his career after the 2010 Open.
“You can see there’s a lot of birdies out there with five par-fives,” said Oosthuizen, who was greeted at the clubhouse by his wife and young daughters, who are travelling with him.
“But I’m making it easy for myself — I’m hitting a lot of good shots. It’s far from over, there’s a lot of golf left. I need a good round tomorrow to get myself in position for Sunday.”
Scott escaped from a bunker on the third hole for his first birdie of the day, and he picked up further shots on four and five to take a two-shot lead early in the round.
An inappropriate cry of “Adam, we love you!” from two female marshals spurred him on, but it was Oosthuizen who then took charge after the only blot on his round a bogey on the second.
Four-time major winner Els turned at seven-under par and added two more birdies on his way back for a 63.
Phil Mickelson, the event’s only double winner, was set for a share of second place until he found greenside rocks on the 18th for a double-bogey, dropping down to tied sixth with Dustin Johnson.
Jason Dufner, Mickelson and Johnson’s American Ryder Cup teammate, shot 66 to share fourth spot with Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who had a 68.