Alex Levy continued to lead the European challenge at the WGC-Cadillac Championship as overnight leader JB Holmes recovered from a poor start.
A sensational ten under par 62 had given former US Ryder Cup star Holmes a four shot first round lead, but the big hitter found water with his approach to the par five opener and bogeyed.
However, the three time US PGA Tour winner bounced straight back with a birdie from 12 feet at the second and at ten under led by three from compatriot Charlie Hoffman.
Ryan Moore and Adam Scott were tied for third on six under, with France’s Levy a shot further back after birdieing the 11th – his second.
Meanwhile World Number One Rory McIlroy was continuing to have an eventful week: the Northern Irishman had bounced back from an outward 40 on Thursday to salvage a round of 73, and made a perfect start to his second round with birdies from close range at the first and ten feet at the second.
But he drove into water at the third and three-putted the fourth for back-to-back bogeys to slip back to one over and 11 behind Holmes.
Over 200 balls ended up in the water at this event in 2014, and Holmes again added to this year’s tally at the third as another dropped shot took him to nine under.
Hoffman fared even worse at the fourth, however, hitting his tee shot into the lake and running up a quadruple bogey seven.
That allowed Moore to pick up the challenge on six under, with Levy a shot further back in third after reeling off nine consecutive pars.
Former Masters Tournament winner Scott and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson were tied for fourth on four under, former European Number One Stenson carding a hat-trick of gains from the sixth.
