Golf: Mickelson moves two clear at Doral Open

TORONTO - Phil Mickelson continued his scorching play at the Doral Open today, firing a second round six-under-par 66 for a two shot lead over Billy Andrade and into position for a third title in four events.

Riding a wave of momentum from back-to-back PGA Tour strokeplay wins in Phoenix and Pebble Beach, Mickelson was in flawless form on an overcast day at Miami's Doral resort going bogey free on the Blue Monster to sit at 14-under 130.

It marked the ninth consecutive round the US Masters champion has owned or shared the lead in a strokeplay event.

"It was a little tougher today with the wind but I was able to play bogey-free golf and that was nice," Mickelson said.

Andrade matched Mickelson with a 66 to reach 12-under while Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal continued to show flashes of the form that carried him to two Masters titles, scoring a three-under 69 to sit one shot further adrift on 133.

New Zealand's Craig Perks missed the cut by three shots, carding 73 today to finish on even-par.

With four of the world's top six ranked players within six shots of the leader, including number one Vijay Singh and number two Tiger Woods, the final two rounds of the $US5.5 million ($NZ7.65 million) event are set up for a spectacular finish.

Woods, Singh, defending champion Craig Parry of Australia and David Toms, winner of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship last weekend, are among a group of 11 golfers lurking five shots back at nine-under 135.

US Open champion and world No 5 Retief Goosen of South Africa and world number six Sergio Garcia or Spain are also in contention, one stroke further back at eight-under.

Woods and Fiji's Singh enter the weekend with the number one ranking up for grabs.

In the last two weeks, Woods has twice let opportunities to reclaim the top spot slip through his fingers and he will be determined to not let it happen a third time.

A win at Doral would put Woods back on top of the world, as would a second place finish if Singh is outside the top five.

Starting on the back nine, the 29-year-old American had looked poised to run away with the second round, pulling two shots clear of the field after four consecutive birdies from the 16th hole.

However, the eight-time major winner gave back three shots with bogies on two, three and four before steadying himself with a birdie on five to finish with a two-under-par 70.

"The scores were not going to be as low yesterday, not with the wind blowing like this," said Woods, who had gone 62 holes at Doral without a bogey.

"You would figure something in the 60s would be a good, solid score and I certainly would have had that if I didn't bogey three in a row. "

Singh, who has not managed a top-10 finish since his victory at the Sony Open in early January, shook off his recent indifferent form to card a five-under 67 but like Woods he felt his could have done more.

"I played really well today," Singh said.

"I could have made one or two more under but that's the way it goes.

"I just need to get some momentum going. This is the first time where I got two rounds, the first two rounds under par comfortably.

"It was the easiest five-under I could have shot today. I left a lot out there."

- REUTERS