McDowell Moves a Day Early

Graeme McDowell completed a second round 63 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

In recent weeks G-Mac has seen Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Luke Donald win the last three US PGA Tour events and from six off the pace after his opening 72 he moved alongside early clubhouse leader Jason Dufner.

The American added a 69 to his opening 66 to stand nine under par at halfway and then had to wait to see what the chasing pack - Tiger Woods and Justin Rose included - could do later in the day.

McDowell has fond memories of the event, finishing second back in 2005, and his round matched his lowest-ever score in the States.

Birdies at the fourth and fifth began his move through the field from joint 27th overnight and he then holed from 27 feet at the short seventh and 32 feet on the next.

A 98-yard pitch to four feet at the tenth took the 2010 US Open Champion to five under for the day and two holes later, after driving into a bunker, he hit his third shot to five feet to set up his sixth birdie.

The best was still to come, though. A 215 yard approach to seven feet on the 16th brought an eagle and he rounded off an inward 31 with a ten foot birdie putt at the last.

At that point he and Dufner were three clear of Korean Charlie Wi, who had yet to resume, while Sergio Garcia was only four back after a 67 and both defending champion Martin Laird (68) and Ian Poulter (69) five behind.

Woods and Rose, joint fourth after starting with rounds of 69, both parred their first two holes.

Price Right... But Not for Damien

Day two of the Trophee Hassan II in Agadir saw a five-and-a-half hour delay due to very strong winds at the Golf du Palais Royal, leaving over half the field were unable to complete their second rounds.

Amongst them was the overnight leader, Damien McGrane, who only completed only five holes. 

So it fell to former Ryder Cup hero Phillip Price to set the pace on Friday with five birdies in eight holes to take over at the top of the leaderboard. The Welshman, who beat Phil Mickelson as Europe won the Ryder Cup in 2002, moved to nine under par in Morocco.

Starting on the back nine at Golf du Palais Royal, Price parred his first five holes before a hat trick of gains from the 15th. Further birdies followed at the second and fourth as the 45 year old, who kept his European Tour card by the skin of his teeth last season, moved two shots ahead of overnight leader McGrane. 

Nine years after winning the last of his three European Tour titles, Phillip Price put himself in a great position to add another with a second round 66.

Spain’s José Manuel Lara moved into solo second with a joint best-of-the-week 65, with Sweden’s Joel Sjöholm and South African James Kingston a shot further back the latter with a hole remaining.

“I was delighted with that today and I was very surprised by how calm it became throughout the day after this morning,” said Price. “It was really windy when we started so to go out there and shoot six under is really pleasing. It was rather unpleasant this morning so very pleased.

“I had a 05:25 alarm call this morning and then a five-and-a-half-hour delay. Thankfully I managed to have a little 20-minute power nap in the locker room during the delay and that really helped. But it was frustrating to go to the tee twice and not be allowed to tee off because it is difficult to get yourself in the right mood and then be called off.

“By the time we got to the tee for the third time I wasn’t sure if we were going to be allowed to go, but thankfully it died down and, as I said, I managed to play very well. I thought it was going to be a real battle today but it calmed down and I managed to calm down and played some really nice stuff.”

“I am playing better which is great,” said Price, who has not finished in the top 100 on The Race to Dubai since 2004 and last year took the 118th and final card.

“It is nice to feel that way again because it has been a long time since I have been anywhere near the top of the leaderboard. I just have to go back and relax now and wait till I have to get out there again because they will obviously have to finish the second round tomorrow morning and I will have a very late tee off to the third round.

“I can’t actually remember the last time I was leading after two rounds – it might even be as long ago as the European Open that I won in 2003 so to be up there again is a great feeling.”

McGinley Withdraws from Hassan II

Paul McGinley has withdrawn from the Hassan II Trophy citing tiredness.

McGinley had competed in the two-day Tavistock Cup in Florida earlier this week and only arrived into Agadir late on the evening before the event.

But after arriving to the Moroccan course early on Friday and learning of the delay he advised officials he was struggling in sleeping and withdrew.

The Dubliner was seven over par at the time and left Agadir headed for Marrakech for a flight back to the UK. The next event is the Sicilian Open.

Having undergone treatment on his left knee in the off-season he has played in just two events,  missing the cut in Qatar and finishing 14th place in the Avantha Masters in India,

McGinley is still under the orders of his doctor - Dr. Andrew Unwin - to ‘stagger’ his new season.

“I didn’t have an operation but I did have some small procedures on it like draining fluid off it,” said McGinley earlier this year.

“It was just six weeks of total rest with no golf at all.

“I am disappointed every week I can’t play because I still have a real desire to play but I don’t want to go at it to hell for leather starting off and the advice I’ve been given is to have one week on and then one week off and so on.

“The doctor’s informed me it is a maintenance thing of easing myself back into competition full time. 

“Hopefully by the end of March or early April I will be able to play three to four in a row but I will still play 18 events this year.”

Fatiha Betscher (www.golfbytourmiss.com)