Scott on top in Akron

Adam Scott, joint third in the US PGA championship in Chicago on Sunday, grabbed an astonishing nine birdies in his last 12 holes, before signing for a seven-under-par 63 at the Bridgestone world championship in Akron today.

He finished the day two ahead of American Jason Gore, who unlike Paul McGinley was inspired by partnering Tiger Woods, with David Howell and Luke Donald three under and joint fourth – with defending champion Woods among others.

Howell was competing only four days after a shoulder problem led to him slumping to a closing 82 in the final major of the season.

“I didn’t expect much – I’m not going to be perfect all week,” said the European Order of Merit leader. “I just wanted to get round and feel better about my shoulder.

“Expectations go out of the window, but my short game was good and I made the most of the round. I’m delighted with that.”

Donald had been joint leader with Woods with a round to go at the PGA, but did not manage a single birdie in his 74.

He came out today with three straightaway and then had another at his seventh hole. What would he have given for that last weekend?

The 28-year-old led on his own at that point, but bogeyed the 18th, his ninth, after pulling his drive and parred his way in.

Donald said after completing a three under 67: “Obviously, I got off to a great start. It seemed very relaxed after last week – not many people watching, a pretty stress-free round.

“It could have been a couple better, but the front nine was very similar to Sunday. I hit good shots, but got nothing out of it.”

Westwood and Poulter both need a top-six finish this week just to keep alive their hopes of climbing into the top 10 in the European cup race at next week’s concluding event in Munich.

But the Worksop golfer was next to last following an error-ridden 79 – seven bogeys and two doubles in that – and Poulter’s one over 71 put him in a tie for 34th spot.

Poulter, ninth at the weekend, had opened with a 15-foot birdie putt, but from the edge of the rough on the third did not make the carry over the lake.

“It just came out really dead,” he said. That led to a double bogey six and he dropped another at the fourth before working his way back to level par.

Then, however, a poor drive on the monster 667-yard 16th led to a bogey six. “Miss the fairway there and it’s almost a four-shotter,” he added. “One over’s not good, but it’s not bad.”

Scott commented: “My iron play was really good – I was just dialled in. I missed the rough with my opening shot, but didn’t see it the rest of the day. I presume it’s pretty thick all the way round.”

McGinley, ninth in the cup standings after missing last week’s event to attend the funeral of Darren Clarke’s wife Heather, mirrored Donald in that there was not one birdie on his card. But he had bogeys at the first, fourth, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th and 18th.

The bad news for McGinley was that 10th-placed Jose Maria Olazabal was three under with one to play, but the good was that it takes two players to knock him out of the top 10 and nobody else in the running was figuring prominently.