ADAM SCOTT LEADS, BUT RORY'S CLOSE BEHIND

By Torleif Sorenson on 11/29/13

Coming into this week's Australian Open, Adam Scott was on a hot streak. First, he won the Australian PGA Championship, followed by the Australian Masters at Royal Melbourne. As a bonus, he teamed up with Jason Day for an emotional World Cup of Golf victory last week. Scott hopes to be only the second golfer ever to take the Australian "Triple Crown" — the Australian PGA, the Australian Masters, and the Australian Open — in the same year. (Robert Allengy hit the trifecta in 2005.)

On Thursday, in the first round of the Australian Open at Royal Sydney Golf Club, Scott kept the proverbial pedal to the metal:



On Friday, Scott had tougher sledding; his seven birdies were offset by three bogeys and a double at the 4th. Still, Scott's 70 has kept him in the lead at the halfway point, at -12 (134), two shots behind an unexpected challenger:



The Holywood Matinee Idol took just 24 putts and hit 78% GIR today. His 65 has him just two back of Scott. But what is interesting is how McIlroy described his round:

"As seven-unders go, I think it was a pretty comfortable one. I don't think I did anything really spectacular out there."

With McIlroy seemingly in a comfortable, "happy place," Golf Channel's coverage of the Australian Open would be the better, more compelling destination this weekend, instead of American football.


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