Home News Adam Scott Storms To Seven Shot Lead As Bay Hill Records Continue To Fall.

Adam Scott Storms To Seven Shot Lead As Bay Hill Records Continue To Fall.

12 years ago by Bernie McGuire Comments Off

Adam Scott stormed to a seven shot record lead on his rivals by adding a second round 68 to his course record equaling first day 62 to move to 14-under par after two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando.

The World No. 2 ranked Aussie, despite battling a sore throat, equaling the opening 36-hole Bay Hill low of 130 while he smashed the existing leading opening two days margin by three shots that was previously shared by Paul Azinger (1988) and Tiger Woods (2002).

Scott’s seven-shot lead also equals the third-largest 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour dating all the way back to 1970, trailing Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal (9 strokes/1990 World Series Of Golf) and Joey Sindelar (8 shots/1987 B.C. Open) while Tiger Woods led by seven after 36 holes of last year’s WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.

Aussie Adam Scott proudly stands tall after storming his way to a seven shot lead on day two of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)

As well, when Scott has enjoyed the second round lead on the PGA Tour, and that has been on 11 prior occasions, he has gone onto win six times with the most recent being his WGC winning breakthrough at the 2011 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.

Scott also made his 31st straight halfway cut on the PGA, and that is the ‘current’ longest streak presently on the PGA Tour.

And with Scott’s Augusta National defence now just three weeks away the Queenslander could not have wished for a better final event before heading north to the Georgia golfing gem.

“A victory here would be exactly what I need to take to Augusta,” he said.

“The confidence you can take out of a win and playing the shots when it counts is huge and the feeling being in contention close to any Major really can count for a lot whenever you do get into contention in a Major.

“So I would take a lot out of a win this week.”

Scott went into the second round leading by three shots but he posted five straight pars before the first of six birdies in his round at the par five, sixth hole.

And while he bogeyed the seventh and the last Scott was still very pleased with his efforts despite his continuing physical discomfort.

“It was a pretty good way to back up a low round,” he said.

“It’s not easy to do that, especially around a tough golf course. I think going back to the first hole was the key in keeping some momentum going out of Thursday, making kind of a scrappy par and a good putt at the first to feel like I’m heading in the right direction to start the day.

“Overall I played pretty solid. I would say I struck the ball much better than yesterday, but just didn’t make the putts.

“But it’s tough to do that all the time around a track like this.”

And while Scott would dearly love to leave the Sunshine State with success he’s fully aware there is still 65 players looking to walk away with the $US 1.2 first prize cheque.

“A seven shot lead over two days is still not enough,” said Scott.

“I don’t think you can ever be enough in front, to be honest. So the challenge might be just to start again and try and play a great 36 holes, start afresh, and try to be the leader after the next 36 holes.”

If Scott is successful he will join fellow Queenslander John Senden (Valspar Championship) as the first occasion two Australian-born players have won back-to-back on the PGA Tour since 2010 when he captured the Valero Texas Open and Jason Day won the following weeks HP Byron Nelson Championship.

Here’s some of Scott’s stats over his two rounds:-