The outstanding form of The European Tour Membership continued at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship in windy Miami.
Australian Robert Allenby defied the difficult conditions to reach a brilliant eight under par after 12 holes, but by bogeying the last four for a 68 slipped one behind clubhouse pacesetter Charl Schwartzel – already a winner of consecutive European Tour titles this season.
Allenby pitched in from 114 yards for an eagle two at the fifth and after turning in 30 added further birdies on the tenth and 12th, both par fives.
He started to come back to the pack, however, when he went over the green at the 245 yard 15th.
"I couldn't believe it was long. I thought it was short," he commented.
"Then I got a flyer on the 16th, thought I was perfect on the 17th and found myself with no shot from the bunker, then tried to hit a cut on the last and hit it dead straight."
Schwartzel, twice a winner in his native South Africa this year, did not drop a stroke all day, but was joined on five under when Fijian Vijay Singh had four birdies in six holes around the turn.
Luke Donald, back in action after his wife gave birth to their first child two weeks ago (and a month earlier than expected), turned in 33 after holing a bunker shot on the treacherous 18th.
With three to go Donald was two under and level with fellow Englishman Paul Casey, but from three under as well Ulsterman Graeme McDowell fell all the way to a two over 74.
That put him alongside Lee Westwood, whose second shot of the day found the lake left of the 10th hole and led to a back nine 40.
Padraig Harrington stood one under after 15, Simon Dyson and WGC-World Match Play Championship winner Ian Poulter were level par.
