Woods and Scott in danger of missing cut

Hunter Mahan, right, listens to his caddie John Wood. Picture: AP

Mahan was one of just four players to have shot an under-par score in the second round, as the redesigned Blue Monster course claimed the world’s top two, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, and Phil Mickelson among its victims.

Mahan had initially bogeyed his first hole, but a pair of birdies through his opening eight holes meant he held a one-stroke advantage over fellow American Dustin Johnson.

Johnson, playing in the group behind Mahan, was level for  his round.

Patrick Reed had taken the first-round lead, after a number of players completed rain-delayed rounds this morning, but had dropped two shots through 14 holes to be two off the pace.

With low scoring proving almost impossible, holding ground was the order of the day.

That was something the world’s best were unable to do as the likes of Woods and Scott, playing alongside each other, were in danger of missing the halfway cut.

Woods had crashed to six over, joined by Mickelson and Justin Rose, while Scott’s slide was even more extreme as he was a shot worse off.

Scott had begun his incomplete first round on two under, and one stroke off the overnight lead, but after he lost six shots in his first five holes things did not improve in his second round.

The Australian had dropped four shots through 13 holes of his second round and nine strokes for the day.

Woods had made a similarly horror start after resuming his first round, dropping four shots in his first four holes, but a  hat-trick of birdies limited the damage in a round of 76. The world No 1, who struggled with a back problem last week, had lost a further shot in his second round, although with a projected cut around at around four over he remained hopeful of playing at the weekend.

Mickelson and Rose looked to be heading the wrong way after both lost four shots through nine and 14 holes respectively of their second rounds.

Wales’ Jamie Donaldson was one of the few players to tame the blustery conditions as he had moved to even for the tournament after picking up two shots before the turn.

Graeme McDowell was also level with the card after he had picked up a stroke on the day through 16 holes.

McDowell’s fellow countryman Rory McIlroy, picked up another shot after resuming his first round after 14 holes to finish on two-under-par 70. After nine holes of his second round, however, he had slipped back to two over. Jamie Donalsdson of Wales was sitting at one over par after 14 holes of his second round, while further back England’s Ian Poulter was on four over and Stephen Gallacher of Scotland finished with a second successive 75 for a six-over-par halfway total.

Gallacher was joined on six-over by Spain’s Sergio Garcia, while England’s Luke Donald (England) was a shot further back after 16 holes of his second round.