The weather might have taken a turn for the worse but Adam Scott remained as hot as the first day’s scorching temperatures, a superb second round 65 giving the Australian a commanding lead at the halfway stage of the Diageo Scottish PGA Championship at Gleneagles.
The 22 year old, a winner already this year on The European Tour International Schedule in the Qatar Masters, kept his concentration and held his game together admirably in mist and rain to open up a four shot lead over the field on 12 under par 132.
Fellow Australian Richard Green and Germany’s Marcel Siem moved into joint second place on 136 while David Park, Mark Roe and Sam Torrance shared fourth. But the day belonged to Scott, who started the week disappointed at not being in the field for the World Golf Championships – NEC Invitational, but who admitted now that his concentration was fully on the weekend’s action over the PGA Centenary Course.
“I am not here just to play, I am here to win this golf tournament and do the best I can and I’ll do that wherever I am,” said Scott. “Obviously I would have loved to have played in Seattle but seeing I am not, I’m happy to be here and I want to win this one.”
Certainly he went the right way about it with a sparkling and flawless second round 65, the highlight of his seven birdies coming at the 419 yard seventh, where he rolled in a putt from 20 feet. But it is was on the par fives that the Australian really prospered, having completed the ten played so far in ten under par.
Scott acknowledged a trip to see coach Butch Harmon at his Las Vegas base a week ago had given him confidence for the week, but he also admitted he was keen to emulate his golfing hero and great friend Greg Norman who blazed a trail in Europe in the 1980s.
“I mentioned it once before that it seemed like every clubhouse you walk into in tournaments over here, certainly all the big ones, his name is on the honour boards,” said Scott. “He has won all the big ones over here and that is something I definitely want to do before I’m done. I’d like to have a big season and win a few tournaments.”
First round leader Green could not quite repeat the fireworks of his opening 65 but his second round 71 kept him well in contention.
“It was pretty miserable out there,” said Green. “Everything was wet. Clubs were wet, grips were wet, hands were wet, my caddie was wet, everything. In conditions like that you just have to try and do what you can to stay as dry as possible and get round.
“I’m looking forward to playing with Adam tomorrow because I know him well and he is a good mate of mine out here on Tour. I know some people find it harder playing directly against a friend, but I don’t. I actually find it better because I am more relaxed.
“I also like where I am in the tournament as well, I am better coming from behind. It was how I won in Dubai and I also won a couple of tournaments Down Under where I wasn’t leading going into the last round so I’m looking forward to the challenge again.”
Joint second placed Siem carded a fine 66 and immediately paid a large debt of gratitude to fellow German Alex Cejka.
“It is my first season on Tour this year and I have been a bit nervous when I have been playing well so I asked Alex what he thought I should do,” said Siem.
“He said I was maybe looking too far ahead, and just to concentrate on fairways, greens, fairways, greens, and nothing else which is exactly what I did and it worked a treat. I never even discussed my score with my caddie out there, just clubbing and stuff like that.
“I also never looked at a leaderboard until I three putted the eighth hole (his 17th). I think that helped me as well and I will be approaching the final two rounds that way. I am very happy with my form and the way I played, and it is Alex I have to thank for a lot of that.”
Of the trio on seven under par 137, most support came for the home galleries was reserved for Scot Sam Torrance, the European Ryder Cup captain, who again gave his charges at The De Vere Belfry in a month’s time another lift with another commanding performance on the course himself.
“I played very, very solidly out there,” said Torrance who featured five birdies in his 68. “I missed the fairway once and that was only in the semi. I did some good week with my dad this week. One of the main faults I have had is that I had a twist in my takeaway and that is what I have been working on.”
