Goosen grabs lead at Doral

Retief Goosen shot a four-under-par 68 on Doral’s Blue Monster course to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Ford Championship in Miami.

The South African’s halfway total was nine-under at 135 to lead Phil Mickelson (69), Todd Hamilton (68) and Craig Parry (65) by a shot.

“I’m probably not driving it as well as I would like, but I’m putting well and I’m quite comfortable with

my irons,” said Goosen, the 2001 US Open champion.

Goosen had six birdies and two bogeys, while Mickelson left a few shots on the course.

“I think I let four or five opportunities from inside 15 feet slide by on the front nine, but that was a good sign that I was hitting it well,” Mickelson said.

“The back nine was OK. It could have been better, could have been worse, but the wind died down on the back nine and let it play a little easier for everyone.”

Parry had the day’s best round, a seven-under 65, while Hamilton – a four-time winner in Japan last year – had a three-putt bogey at the 18th hole to slip out of a tie for the lead.

Rookie Arjun Atwal, who was seven over par after nine holes in the opening round, played the next 24 holes in eight-under, making the cut with nothing to spare at one over on 145, despite two late bogeys.

The South African’s halfway total was nine-under at 135 to lead Phil Mickelson (69), Todd Hamilton

(68) and Craig Parry (65) by a shot.

“I’m probably not driving it as well as I would like, but I’m putting well and I’m quite comfortable with my irons,” said Goosen, the 2001 US Open champion.

Goosen had six birdies and two bogeys, while Mickelson left a few shots on the course.

“I think I let four or five opportunities from inside 15 feet slide by on the front nine, but that was a good sign that I was hitting it well,” Mickelson said.

“The back nine was OK. It could have been better, could have been worse, but the wind died down on the back nine and let it play a little easier for everyone.”

Parry had the day’s best round, a seven-under 65, while Hamilton – a four-time winner in Japan last year – had a three-putt bogey at the 18th hole to slip out of a tie for the lead.

Rookie Arjun Atwal, who was seven over par after nine holes in the opening round, played the next 24 holes in eight-under, making the cut with nothing to spare at one over on 145, despite two late bogeys.