And that lead was still in tact by the time Scott teed off after none of the early starters were able to put any pressure on the reigning US Masters champion.

American duo JB Holmes and Chesson Hadley had set the clubhouse target on seven under par after rounds of 69 and 68 respectively, while compatriot and former US PGA champion Keegan Bradley was another shot back after a 67 that was the lowest score of the day so far.

Welshman Jamie Donaldson was alongside Bradley on six under after adding a 71 to his opening 67, with Orlando resident Ian Poulter also returning a 71 to lie five under.

However, it was not such a good day for Poulter’s Ryder Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell, who followed his opening 68 with a second round of 77 that did not feature a single birdie and left him on the projected cut mark of one over par.

After starting from the 10th, McDowell dropped shots at the 13th and 18th to be out in 38 and then finished in nightmare fashion with a double-bogey on the eighth and bogey on the ninth.

Scott remained 10 under par with pars at the first four holes, the 33-year-old having to hole from 12 feet on the first to avoid dropping a shot after finding heavy rough off the tee.

Scott two-putted the par-five sixth for his first birdie of the day, but promptly gave that shot back on the next after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

Another bogey looked possible on the ninth after his drive into the rough left him with an awkward angle to the green, but a superb approach to 10 feet actually set up another birdie.

At 11 under par Scott now led by four from Holmes, Chadley and Italy’s Francesco Molinari in the clubhouse – Molinari adding a 70 to his opening 67 - while Brandt Snedeker was also seven under after 10 holes.