Golf: Scott resurrects challenge at WGC Championship

Adam Scott. Photo / Getty Images

With his name hurtling down the leaderboard and others streaking ahead in the second round, Adam Scott found a new gear and resurrected his challenge at the WGC Cadillac Championship today.

The charging Bubba Watson and Justin Rose had already leapfrogged Scott, the overnight leader, when he found trouble on his eighth hole and pencilled in a double bogey seven.

Looking down the barrel of a hefty deficit, Scott fought back rather than give it away like he may have in the past, going four under on the back nine to sit just two from the lead at day's end in Florida.

Scott's four-under 68 was good enough to move him to 10 under par for the tournament and into third place, two behind leader Watson (12 under) and one adrift of Rose (11 under) who holds second alone.

American Watson fashioned a brilliant 10-under par 62 to take the lead while Englishman Rose was impressive also with a 64.

Scott admitted he could have easily given up his chances after the debacle on the eighth, where he hit two separate bunkers and also found a lake.

"Maybe I wouldn't have bounced back in the past,'' he said.

"But my whole mindset for the game is really good at the moment and I'm very content with everything I'm doing.

"I am certainly a mature golfer these days. I have a lot of experience and it's happened to me a million times.

"I know I had 10 holes to play which means 10 opportunities to look at.

"When you're playing well you can't let a hiccup affect you because if I did we'd have a knock on affect and I'd end up at three under.

"Then I've got nothing out of the week and feel like I'm not playing well when I really am.''

While his lead is gone, the 31-year-old Queenslander remained confident he could power forward over the weekend and pick up a second WGC title.

"I'm right where I want to be,'' he said.

"I've set myself up for a good look over the weekend but I'm just going to have to be really sharp, because there's no doubt there are going to be low scores out there.

"I'm going to need to shoot in the 60s somewhere.''

Jason Day rebounded from a one over par round on the opening day with a five-under par 67, leaving him as the next best Australian at four under in a tie for 21st.

Greg Chalmers (-3, T24), John Senden (-1, T34), Aaron Baddeley (-1, T34), Marcus Fraser (E, T46) and Geoff Ogilvy (+2, T58) have plenty of work to do on the weekend.

Tiger Woods shot a five under par 67 to move to five under and a tie for 15th.