Saturday 9 March 2019 12:07, UK
Tommy Fleetwood and Keegan Bradley separated themselves from the rest of the star-studded field at Bay Hill and head into the weekend with a four-shot lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Fleetwood became the first player on the PGA Tour this season to card two eagles in the same round for the second time, the Englishman playing the four par-fives in six-under as an entertaining 66 propelled him into the early second-round lead on nine under.
The world No 14, chasing his first win in the US, looked likely to retain the outright lead with the course firming up for the later starters, but Bradley defied the difficulties and carded a six-birdie 68 - matching the best score of the afternoon - to claim a share of the halfway lead.
Open champion Francesco Molinari proved he had made a smooth transition to his all-new equipment as a solid 70 lifted him into a tie for third on five under, while Fleetwood's compatriots Eddie Pepperell, Matt Wallace and Matt Fitzpatrick are one stroke further adrift with world No 2 Justin Rose well-placed for a Saturday charge on three under.
Fleetwood admitted his sharp, short-game bailed him out on day one as he kept a bogey off his card despite "chopping it round", and he also failed to make a birdie on any of the long holes, but he atoned in grand style early on Friday morning.
After an early mistake at the second, he birdied four and five before holing from 17 feet for eagle at the sixth, and another perfect putt from even longer range at the eighth helped him turn in 32 before he three-putted from 50 feet to give a shot back at the 10th.
But he again responded positively and cracked a stunning 275-yard fairway-wood to six feet at the long 12th and converted the chance for another eagle, and a birdie at 16 took him to six under for the day on the par-fives.
Fleetwood remained out in front until he was finally reeled in by Bradley, who nailed a huge putt for birdie at the 15th and followed it up with his sixth gain of the round at the next, and the former PGA champion did well to avoid a third bogey at the last when he tugged his drive into the rough and could not reach the green with his approach.
Molinari mixed four birdies with two bogeys in a resolute 70 which lifted him into a large group on five under which included Billy Horschel and last week's Honda Classic champion Keith Mitchell, while Masters champions Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson are alongside the English trio of Pepperell, Wallace and Fitzpatrick in a tie for ninth.
Also in that group was overnight leader Rafa Cabrera Bello, who was grinding hard to stay at seven under until suffering an erratic finish with four bogeys over the last five holes as his first-day accuracy from the tee deserted him late on Friday.
The Spaniard would end up with a disappointing 75 which saw him end the day five off the lead having started it two clear, while Rose (70) and his close friend Ian Poulter (68) will look to make early inroads on the leaders on Saturday as they closed on three under.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy was flirting with the cut line when he slipped to one over midway through his round, but he got back on track with three birdies in four holes and, after his third bogey of the day at the fifth, he hammered a huge drive over the water at the long sixth and clipped a mid-iron to inside 10 feet before holing for a welcome eagle.
However, a wayward drive at the eighth led to another dropped shot and he had to settle for a round of 70 - two under for the tournament - while Bryson DeChambeau and Rickie Fowler were among those to make it into the weekend with nothing to spare on one over.
But Phil Mickelson was perhaps heading for some early practice at TPC Sawgrass ahead of next week's Players Championship as he carded two double-bogeys in a 78 - 10 shots worse than his opening round - which was one too many to survive the cut.
