Golf:Justin Rose hit top form today at the Cadillac Championship in Miami in his bid to make it back-to-back wins for European golfers in America.
Five days after Rory McIlroy’s Honda Classic victory, Rose followed his opening 69 with an eight-under-par 64. But it still was not good enough for the halfway lead as playing partner Bubba Watson was only one outside the Doral Blue Monster course record with his 62.
Between them they had a better-ball 59 and at halfway in the second of this season’s world championships they stood 12 under and 11 under respectively.
New world number one McIlroy therefore found himself 10 shots behind after he carded a three-under 69, the same mark as Graeme McDowell, who carded a 67.
McIlroy set for a low round after an eagle-birdie start to his day, but handed back shots at the third and fifth to turn in one-under 35. Two birdies at the par-five 10th and 12th moved him to two under for the tournament but he would trade two birdies against two bogeys in the final five holes.
Going much better was Tiger Woods, second to the Northern Irishman last week after a closing 62. The former world number one had five birdies and no dropped shots in his 67 to finish the day on five under.
Rose resumed three behind overnight leaders Adam Scott and Jason Dufner, but wiped that out by starting with a hat-trick of birdies and picked up further strokes at the 16th and 17th to turn in 31.
Already a three-time winner in the States, the former European Tour number one then moved to seven under for his first 11 holes by two-putting the long first and pitching to four feet on the next.
He repeated that three holes later, saved par from the rough on the 442-yard sixth and from fairway bunkers at the 454-yard seventh and long eighth.
Rose was three ahead at one point, but American left-hander Watson, also out in 31, finished much the stronger with birdies at the fifth and sixth and then a glorious eagle from six feet on the eighth.
Darren Clarke was towards the rear of the no-cut field after a second 74 left him on four over.
