Rory McIlroy wants more after 65 in Florida

New world No.1 McIlroy gave another demonstration of his enormous talent, charging from 28th place to second, only one behind, by playing the first 12 holes in a staggering nine under par.

But after an eagle and seven birdies McIlroy then bogeyed the 14th and 16th and instead of challenging or even beating the Doral course record of 61 the 22-year-old had to settle for “only” a 65.

And with American left-hander Watson, a colossal hitter of the ball, then scoring 67, Northern Ireland’s US Open champion is eight behind in joint eighth.

Rose, with a chance to record his fourth victory in the States and to return to the world top six four years after he was last there, remains Europe’s best hope.

The 31-year-old three-putted the last for a 69, however, and so will not be playing with Watson for the fourth day in a row.

Woods birdied the first three holes, had another on the sixth and pitched in for par at the short ninth after hitting his tee shot into the water.

There was also a rare birdie at the treacherous 18th to admire, but on the down side the man who finished runner-up to McIlroy at last week’s Honda Classic after a closing 62 had bogey sixes at the eighth and 12th and dropped another stroke on the 14th.

That all added up to a 68 and a matching nine under par aggregate, with second-ranked Luke Donald on the same mark after a 69.

Watson, poised to take over from Phil Mickelson as the leading left-hander in the game, responded to McIlroy’s burst by starting eagle-birdie.

After three-putting the fourth he birdied three of the next four and at that moment led Rose by five.

The former European Tour No.1 followed Watson in for a four at the long eighth, however, and with birdies on the next three as well and Watson three-putting again on the ninth they were level.

That was as good as it got for 31-year-old Rose, though.

Watson had further birdies at the 12th and 14th while he bogeyed in between.

McIlroy said: “You should not be disappointed with a 65, but I feel it could have been a little better.

“I got off to a great start and was just trying to keep it going, but got a pretty bad lie in the bunker on the 14th and in the rough at 16.

“Yesterday I was ranked last in putting, but I holed them today and I will need to do it again tomorrow. I need to get off to another fast start and maybe keep it going a bit better. I will have to shoot in the low sixties.”

At least he was looking good to keep his No.1 spot on the rankings.

Donald probably needs at worst a top-three finish to have a chance of reclaiming the position, while third-ranked Lee Westwood, who has to win, is joint 23rd on five under after a real mixed bag of a 68. He double-bogeyed the third and 17th, but also had eight birdies, seven of them in eight holes from the eighth.

Woods, though is very much in the hunt and a repeat of his Sunday 62 last week would certainly make it interesting – and Watson’s second round had already shown that such a score was possible at the Blue Monster.