Harrington in hot pursuit of leader

Prayad Marksaeng jumped into an early outright lead at Doral with Padraig Harrington in hot pursuit as the second round of the WGC-CA Championship got up and running on Friday.

Thailand’s Marksaeng had shared the overnight lead on seven under par with Retief Goosen, Phil Mickelson and Jeev Milka Singh following an opening-day 65 on the par-72, 7,266-yard Blue Monster course.

Yet the world number 55 stole a march on his rivals when he eagled the par-five, 528-yard first hole to move to nine under.

Harrington had been in a tie for fifth place overnight after an opening 66 and he followed Marksaeng with an eagle at his first hole, the par-five 10th, dialling in his second shot 281 yards out to 12 feet from the pin and holing out from there to move to eight under.

The Irishman is kick-starting a season that had begun with two missed cuts in his first four starts and a first-round exit at the WGC-Accenture Match Play two weeks ago and the reigning Open and US PGA champion joined Marksaeng at nine under with a birdie at the par-five 12th, his third hole of the day.

The Thai edged ahead once more with a birdie at the par-four fifth hole that took him to 10 under par after five holes.

World number three Mickelson had finished in style for his 65 on Thursday, chipping in for birdies at the both the 17th and 18th holes to complete a back nine of six birdies and no bogeys.

It led the American left hander, a three-time major champion, to state he was playing as well as he ever had, and he started in suitably confident mood on Friday with a birdie at the 10th to move to eight under.

India’s Singh joined him there with an opening birdie at the first and also starting well was South Africa’s James Kingston, who birdied the second hole to move to seven under.

World number one Tiger Woods was set to start his second round later in the day insisting he will have be “a little bit sharper” having opened with a one-under 71.