{"id":53726,"date":"2017-12-01T07:52:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T07:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=53726"},"modified":"2017-12-01T07:52:21","modified_gmt":"2017-12-01T07:52:21","slug":"marc-leishman-shares-2nd-round-lead-australian-masters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/marc-leishman-shares-2nd-round-lead-australian-masters.html","title":{"rendered":"Marc Leishman shares 2nd-round lead at Australian Masters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marc Leishman shares 2nd-round lead at Australian Masters<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Marc Leishman took advantage of an early start Friday to shoot a 7-under 65 and move into a share of the second-round lead at the Australian PGA Championship.<\/span><\/p>\n

Masters champion Sergio Garcia was six strokes behind after a 71 while Adam Scott missed the cut by two shots after bogeying four of six holes on the back nine at Royal Pines and shooting 74.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leishman started on the 10th hole and had four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys on his first nine before birdieing three of his first five holes after the turn.<\/span><\/p>\n

He’s on 12-under 132 at Royal Pines and tied with Adam Bland, who shot 66 on a morning of good scoring conditions \u2014 soft greens and little wind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greg Chalmers (66), was two strokes behind in third.<\/span><\/p>\n

“When you’re on a run like that and playing well, you sort of can afford to be aggressive,” Leishman said. “If you make a few mistakes, you feel like you can make some birdies.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Defending champion Harold Varner III of the United States, who teed off with Leishman at 6:10 a.m., shot 66 and was five strokes behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Varner said he got swept along with Leishman’s strong play.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I’m going to need some help, though, because if he (Leishman) keeps playing like that, we’re in trouble,” Varner said. “I think everyone in this field is in trouble.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Garcia had an up-and-down day with two birdies and a double-bogey on the front nine before three birdies and two bogeys on the back.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It wasn’t my best day out there,” Garcia said. “I hit a couple really nice putts, but probably a little bit tired, I think, physically and mentally. Because of that, obviously my golf game wasn’t as sharp as I would like it to be. But I guess the good thing is we still fought hard, we stayed in it …”<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, shot 69 and was 10 strokes behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scott’s return to a long-handled putter wasn’t successful. He used a broomstick putter when he won the Masters in 2013, but switched to a short putter after a ban on anchoring the putter against the body began in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

A winner of the Australian PGA in 2013 and runner-up in a playoff the following year at Royal Pines, Scott started the day at 1-under but missed at least four close putts on the back nine.<\/span><\/p>\n

It ended a disappointing season for the father of two, who has slumped to a seven-year rankings low of 30th in the world. He last missed the cut at the Australian PGA in 2010, a year in which he fell as low as 48.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I found it difficult switching on and switching off the last few months,” Scott said. “It’s been hard not to get frustrated by just playing a bit average.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I spent most of the time (Friday) in the trees … I’ve got to lift my ball striking up. I lose too many shots and that’s the strength of my game.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/golf\/2017\/12\/01\/marc-leishman-shares-2nd-round-lead-at-australian-masters\/108185414\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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