Scott Leads the Way, But McDowell Could Be The Favourite in Singapore

The top of the leaderboard is littered with top players as Adam Scott has a one shot lead thru two rounds at the Barclays Singapore Open.  Scott blazed out of the gates on the The Tanjong course with a sublime 29 on the front nine. 

He finished with his second straight 65 and a total of (-12) giving him a two shot edge over Brit Ian Poulter.  As a result, he’s been given serious favour by the bookmakers and now stands as the betting favourite at (7-4).

Despite being just two shots back with 36 left to play, Poulter goes off in round three at only (5-1).  It’s a strange number considering Poulter put up the round of the day on Friday.  The Englishman had 8 birdies and no bogies, including a 29 on the back nine, putting him at (-10). 

The considerable gap between himself and Scott could be due to Poulter’s recent run of pedestrian results.  The native of Milton Keynes hasn’t had a top-10 on the European circuit since the Masters in April, but did post a decent 13th place finish in Shanghai last week.

Continuing his career year, Graeme McDowell sits just three off the lead.  It seems like he’s in the conversation every week and has become quite the betting favourite as a result.  He’s now just behind Poulter at (6-1) after shooting a solid 68 to sit at (-9) thru two rounds. 

Now, the books have tipped their cap to Scott, but recent history suggests McDowell is the ‘hot player’ in Singapore.  The man from Northern Ireland has a win and a 3rd place finish in his last 4 starts.  Meanwhile, Scott hasn’t put up a top-10 since early September when he managed a 5th place finish at the PGA’s Deutsche Bank Championship.

Other notables in the field, Phil Mickelson has just tread water, thus far, thru two rounds.  The world’s #4 player has managed just a 67 and 69 in the low scoring conditions at the Sentosa Golf Club.  His (-6) total puts him six off the lead, but it hasn’t taken him out of the running.  With the soft conditions, Mickelson could get right back in the thick of it with a solid round on Saturday.  Either way, the books haven’t given up on Lefty sending him off in round three at (12-1).

Finally, world #3 Martin Kaymer joins Mickelson at (-6).  Sitting at (16-1), he too could make a run if he can clean up some sloppy play.  The German has made at least two bogies in each of his first two rounds.

My swing is so bad I look like a caveman killing his lunch  - Lee Trevino