Mahan holds narrow edge at Doral
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2011 WGC Cadillac Championship | Round Two | 12 Mar 2011
Hunter Mahan leads at the halfway stage of the WGC Cadillac Championship in Florida his opening round of 64 the catalyst for the one shot lead he holds over golf’s number one, Martin Kaymer and Italy’s Francesco Molinari.
Scotland’s Martin Laird, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Americans Matt Kuchar and Nick Watney are tied in 4th position just one shot further back.
Aaron Baddeley continued his good recent form with a brilliant ‘best of the day’ second round of 66 to be at 6 under and three from the lead and he is tied in that position with his fellow countryman Adam Scott and Dustin Johnson.
28 year old Mahan, who won the World Golf Championship Bridgestone event in Akron last August, has played solidly this season with a runner-up finish at Pebble Beach and a 6th place finish at Torrey Pines. He made it to the round of 16 at the Accenture before being narrowly beaten by eventual finalist Martin Kaymer so his form-line was good leading into this week’s event.
Mahan made a brilliant start on day one when he birdied six of his first eight holes. When play was called for darkness on day one he was 7 under though 11 holes and although he dropped two shots late in his round on day two he has led throughout.
In three starts in this event at this venue Mahan has yet to finish better than 30th but he is clearly well placed to do a lot better this week.
Molinari is seeking his second consecutive stroke-play World Golf Championship event having won the HSBC Champions tournament in China late in 2010. He has been brilliant from tee to green thus far this week and another win at this level is not out of the question.
Kaymer just keeps getting better and better. He seems incapable of a bad tournament these days and if he is able to convert his strong position into success this week it will be his 5th win in his last twelve starts worldwide.
When round one was completed on Friday morning Mahan led by one over Ryo Ishikawa who was required to complete six holes of his opening round in the knowledge that a massive earthquake had, just a few hours earlier, devastated his homeland. He was able to birdie two of those holes but when he returned to the golf course for round two it was as if the circumstances got the better of him. He finished with a second round of 76.
Baddeley won recently in Los Angeles and although he missed the cut last at his last start in Mexico his game seems in very good shape. He birdied six of his last fourteen holes in round two which given the conditions was an outstanding performance.
Scott continues to produce some outstanding golf from tee to green and although he is still coming to terms with the long putter he is doing enough to stay in touch. Success at this level however is all about combining what you achieve getting to a green and then what you do on it. If he can somehow find that combination he could challenge but it might be a long bow to draw at this stage.
Robert Allenby is next best of the Australians in 34th position at even par.
