Wi fightback secures share of lead in Florida
Charlie Wi recovered from a shaky start to shoot a level par 70 and maintain a share of the lead after the second round of the Honda Classic in Florida.
Coming off an opening-round five-under-par 65 at the challenging Mirasol’s Sunrise Course, Wi began the second round on the back nine and suffered a triple-bogey seven at the 11th hole.
However, the 35-year-old did not cave in, following with four birdies over the next five holes to join Robert Allenby at the top of the leaderboard.
Wi said: “You know, it’s such a difficult golf course. The wind was a little bit different than yesterday, and I just pulled (my tee shot) and just kicked it in the hazard. I was trying to get away with a bogey, but I didn’t and I made seven.
“I told myself, the course is playing really difficult and I didn‘t feel like I had to have any sense of urgency. So I just told myself, ’If I get a couple back, I’ll be near the lead.”
Wi still had a one-shot advantage at the turn but slipped into a tie with Australian Allenby with a bogey at the par-five third.
Allenby followed a 67 with a two-under 68 on Friday to move to five-under with a score of 135.
The 35-year-old, who boasts four top-10 finishes in five events this season, birdied his last hole to pull even with Wi.
“A good way to finish at the last, hitting a wedge to five feet or whatever,” Allenby said. “I’m happy with five-under. I think five-under is a pretty good score after two days.”
Will MacKenzie and Steve Stricker shot 69s and are two shots off the pace at three under, while Mathias Gronberg (66), Joe Ogilvie (71), Daniel Chopra (66), Camilo Villegas (68) and Mark Wilson (66) are a shot further back on two under.
Defending champion Luke Donald bounced back from a dismal 77 to fire a 67 and make the cut.
Irishman Padraig Harrington, the 2005 winner of this event, is one-under par for the tournament.
