Haas and Rose share Bay Hill lead as Woods slips up

Justin Rose and Bill Haas finished the day tied at the top of the leaderboard following the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando. Rose had led at the end of the first round but yesterday he dropped two shots en route to a second-round 70 in contrast to Haas who produced an impressive 66, the pair one ahead of John Huh.

Defending champion Tiger Woods was on course to challenge at the top of the leaderboard but gusty winds down the back nine scuppered his bid with three consecutive bogeys in the final three holes.

Yesterday was also notable for Phil Mickelson's failure to make the cut, the four-time major winner producing an error-strewn 79 including two triple bogies. So too Brandt Snedeker, whose final two holes – and the end of his tournament – were marked with a double and triple bogey.

Good start
Rose had shot a 65 in the opening round to finish the day two ahead of Huh with John Rollins and Brad Fritsch a further shot adrift. Rose enjoyed a good start, picking up four shots to head the leaderboard but bogeys at the 14th and 18th pegged him back. Haas though enjoyed a flawless round with an eagle on the par-five 16th as well as four birdies for a 66.

Huh hit birdies on the fifth and seventh and although he dropped a shot on the 11th he picked up two more on the final three holes to finish with a 69.

Woods initially made an ideal return to the course with a birdie at the first and an eagle at the sixth.

He picked up two further shots at the 11th and 13th although his hopes of a clean round went with those three consecutive bogeys at the end to finish the day in a three-way tie for seventh. That was one adrift of Ken Duke, Jimmy Walker and JJ Henry who were tied for third.

Missed the cut
Mickelson's game has been up and down all season, at its apex with a win in Phoenix, at its depth with his miss cut at Bay Hill that featured three sevens yesterday.

With the Masters starting less than three weeks from now, the three-time winner of the green jacket and the four-time Major winner said he needs major work with coach Butch Harmon to get ready for Augusta National.

“Obviously, I played terrible, and I deserved to shoot a score like this,” said Mickelson, who will try to turn his game around next week in the Shell Houston Open, his last start before the Masters.

“I’m glad I played because had I showed up in Houston and had this happen I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to get in the competition. I’ll go work with Butch and see if I can get dialed in for Houston.”