Adam Scott is six shots off Michael Wright’s pace at the halfway mark of the Australian Masters at the Metropolitan Club in Melbourne.
If Scott is to don a third Masters gold jacket in succession, he must start sinking some putts.
Next week in the Australian Open, world number two Scott will again do battle with world number one Rory McIlroy, seeking to reverse last year’s result when McIlroy birdied the 72nd hole, and Scott bogeyed, for the Northern Irishman to win his first tournament of the year, by a shot.
McIlroy has had a sensational year, winning two majors and banking 5.4 million euros on the European tour, with daylight second, then Henrik Stenson’s 2.5 million euros.
So there’s a lot at stake for the ever-popular Scott, providing he can get back in the groove. But the first two days seemed to show he is missing the world’s best caddy, Steve Williams, who has gone into semi-retirement.
So far at the Metropolitan, Scott has carded 26 pars, with two eagles, four birdies, a double, and three bogeys to be in a tie for 12th on 3-under, after rounds of 73 and 68.
Little-known Wright, at 9-under, has a two-shot lead over another little-known Paul Spargo, with the consistent leftie Richard Green and Metropolitan amateur member Todd Sinnott sharing 6-under.
Lurking are the 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy at 4-under, Marcus Fraser a shot back with Scott, while American visitor Kyle Stanley and Jarrod Lyle share 2-under.
The 16-year-old amateur Ryan Ruffles is among 30 of the 66 weekend qualifiers who are in red numbers. Ruffles played the first two rounds with Scott and Ogilvy, and consistently outdrove them.
It will be interesting to see how he fires over the final two rounds, especially as he wasn’t overawed in carding 75, 68 to be 1-under.
Channel Seven is doing a great job covering the Masters, with the very versatile Peter Donegan the chief caller, and expert commentary from Wayne Grady, Ian Baker-Finch, and Ossie Moore.
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
Pat, isn't dribbling normally reserved for football rather than golf or cricket?
pat
Guest
and fox i also agree with the cricket i turn the sound down so as not to listen to the dribble. Healy is the worst followed by the rest. they are torture
pat
Guest
fox molder i totally agree, they are the worst commentators i have heard. wayne grady go bac to queensland for good, get off the tv
Fox Molder
Guest
Donegan has lost his edge. He over commentates and tries to hype everything all the time. IBF and Grades aren't great either. Too much back in my/your day. Why is it so hard to get decent commentators? It could be worse I guess, it could be Tubby, Heals, Brayshaw, Slats etc.....all time torture.
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
I did hear Adam Scott saying that he was behind the eight-ball, and was wondering if he remembered which sport he was playing.
David Lord
Guest
To update Rory McIlroy's form in the lead-up to his Australian Open showdown with Adam Scott next week at The Australian. He was still on course in Dubai when the above column was written. The world's number one goes into the third round two shots shy of Henrik Stenson, after cold-topping and duck-hooking a fairway wood, but ended up with a par, Stenson's 10-under, McIlroy 8-under with Danny Willetts, and Richie Ramsay,with Justin Rose one of five at 7-under.