FOR GRINS: Tiger Woods laughs it up during his second-round 65 yesterday at Doral’s Blue Monster. Woods has a two-stroke lead through two rounds. (
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DORAL, Fla. — Leaderboard watching is not something PGA Tour pros usually do until Sunday.
Yet that’s exactly what Graeme McDowell and Phil Mickelson found themselves doing during their respective back nines Friday at Doral.
Awash in the blazing South Florida sun, McDowell and Mickelson were fixated on one man — Tiger Woods. Both badly wanted to position themselves in the final pairing with Woods in today’s WGC-Cadillac Championship third round at Doral’s Blue Monster.
With Woods, who followed his opening-round 66 with a 65, leading the tournament at 13-under par, McDowell (11-under), Mickelson (10-under) and the rest of the world’s best players are chasing Woods into the weekend.
McDowell, who shot 67, scored the third-round pairing with Woods, breaking up the Woods-Mickelson pairing many wanted to see.
“I saw Phil sneaking up the leaderboard there behind me and I said to Kenny [Comboy, his caddie], ‘Let’s spoil this party tomorrow,’ ’’ McDowell said. “It would have been great for the tournament to have Tiger and Phil in the last group, but I certainly will enjoy the position of being in the last group and the mix. That’s right where I want to be.’’
That is also where Mickelson wanted to be.
“I saw Tiger was playing well and I wanted to make a couple birdies to get in the group with him,’’ Mickelson said. “It seems since 2007 when we played together at Deutsche Bank in Boston I’ve played some of my best golf when we get paired together.
“I hope that I play a good round [Saturday] and so does he and we get a chance to get paired together in [Sunday’s] final round, because he seems to somehow bring out my best golf.’’
Woods has carded 17 birdies in his first two rounds — a personal high for him through 36 holes of tournament. He has notched 35 of his 75 career victories after having at least a share of the lead through 36 holes.
“I feel like I’m playing well,” he said. “I probably hit the ball better at Torrey [Pines, where he won in January], but I’m putting better here so it all evens out.”
“It’s going to be tough to catch him,’’ said Steve Stricker, who’s tied with Mickelson at 10-under. “We all know when he gets out in front he’s tough to catch and tough to beat. It looks like he’s playing well. He looks like he’s got all parts of his game working.’’
A big reason for that is the help Stricker gave Woods on the putting green the night before the tournament began.
Nevertheless, Stricker had no regrets about giving his friend and competitor the putting tips.
“It’s good to see him putting well and playing well,’’ he said. “It’s good for us and good for the game [when] he plays well. Unfortunately, we are chasing him, so it’s going to be difficult.’’
McDowell marveled at the star power on the top of the leaderboard.
“It’s great to see the best players in the game playing as well as they are,’’ he said. “It’s always exciting to have Tiger and Phil playing well. It brings the crowds and puts people behind their TV screens and that’s what’s important.’’
The leaderboard, which appears poised to deliver delicious theater over the weekend, featured the top eight players on it having produced a total of 138 career victories, including 22 majors.
* World No. 1 Rory McIlroy showed signs of breaking out of his 2013 malaise, carding a 3-under-par 69 for his first tournament round in the 60s all year. McIlroy is 2-under par.It’s far from the lead, but yesterday was encouraging for him as he hit eight fairways, five more than he hit Thursday, when he shot 73
“It’s nice; it’s the first red number I’ve shot all year competitively,’’ McIlroy said. “I said to my mum walking from the 15th to the 16th tee, ‘Oh my God, I’m in red numbers.’ It’s nice to shoot something in the 60s and definitely something to build on over the next couple of days.’’
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Mickelson, Stricker and Bubba Watson put on a show while paired together in the first two rounds, going 29 under par with 34 birdies and just five bogeys in 36 holes.