Scott on top as Poulter looms in Singapore
Australia's Adam Scott carded a second consecutive round of six-under 65 at the Singapore Open today, the two-time champion leading with a total of 12-under-par - though falling darkness meant play had to be suspended, meaning some 30 players are yet to finish their rounds.
Defending champion Ian Poulter isn't one of them however, the Englishman who's been far from at his best for much of this year two strokes behind Scott after carding a brilliant eight-under-par 63 today, 10-under in total. Poulter shot eight birdies on an error-free round at the Tanjong course, having played the more challenging Serapong course yesterday when he finished two-under.
Scott, who won here in 2005 and '06, was also playing the more forgiving Tanjong course today, and the 30-year-old shot a blistering front nine, with a sequence of five birdies and an eagle coming in the space of six holes. But the Aussie couldn't continue that momentum after the turn, adding just one other birdie along with a couple of bogeys to finish the round.
US Open champion Graeme McDowell is a stroke behind Poulter after starting with four birdies on the bounce - but adding only one other birdie to his total on the back nine, a couple of bogeys seeing him come home three-under today. That leaves him tied with Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed, Korea's Kyung-nam Kang, and Holland's Joost Luiten on nine-under for the tournament.
Germany's Martin Kaymer shot a second consecutive round of three-under to tie for 15th place, on six-under for the tournament. Phil Mickelson, who along with Kaymer can challenge for the world No. 1 ranking with a strong performance here, is on the same score after coming home two-under at the trickier Serapong layout, while one of yesterday's early leader's, Chris Wood, is on the same score; Wood too was playing Serapong, though the Englishman finished two-over today.
Padraig Harrington is in danger of missing the cut after finishing two-under-par for the tournament, though the Irishman still has three holes to play - Harrington is currently on level par for the round, after three early birdies were wiped out by a double bogey on the 7th and a bogey on the 13th at Serapong.
And it's looking like curtains for South Korean stars YE Yang and Seung-Yul Noh. Yang became the first Asian to win a major when he took the PGA Championship in 2009, but despite two wins this season he's not been at his best in recent months; after a decent opening round of five-under at Tanjong, today on the Serapong layout the Korean carded one birdie, two bogeys and a pair of double bogeys for a score of five-over.
That leaves the 38-year-old Yang on level par for the tournament, albeit with three holes still to play. Noh doesn't even have that straw to cling to, the 19-year-old completing his round on level-par today at Tanjong, two-over for the tournament.
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