MIAMI — American J.B. Holmes made light of the daunting Blue Monster course as he fired a sizzling 10-under-par 62 to seize a commanding four-shot lead in the first round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami Thursday. While world No. 1 Rory McIlroy recovered from a dismal start to open with a one-over 73, the long-hitting Holmes piled up an eagle and eight birdies to take control of the first of the year's four elite World Golf Championships (WGC) events. Despite blustery conditions on a fast-running layout at the Trump National Doral Resort, Holmes delivered a near-perfect exhibition of course management as he stole the limelight from a high-caliber field including every player in the world's top 50. Fellow American Ryan Moore double-bogeyed his last hole, the par-four 18th, after finding water off the tee to card a 66 while Frenchman Alexander Levy and Americans Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler opened with 68s. “We game-planned it,” Holmes, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, told Golf Channel after getting up and down from a greenside bunker to par his final hole, the par-three ninth. “I hit all my shots where I needed to.” McIlroy struggled badly in his first nine holes Thursday. The Northern Irishman reached the turn in four-over 40 after bogeying the 11th and 17th and running up a double at the 18th but rebounded with a storming run over the closing stretch. Park shares lead In Singapore, Park Inbee curled in a 3-m birdie putt on the final hole to maintain a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the HSBC Women's Champions, the Korean going bogey-free for the second straight day to reach nine-under for the tournament. The world No. 2 and overnight leader overcame a frustrating day with the putter by picking up three birdies over the final five holes to card a three-under 69 and join big-hitting Spaniard Carlota Ciganda at the top of the leaderboard. Ciganda made the most of her prodigious length off the tee to offset two bogeys with eight birdies for a best-of-the-day six-under 66, two strokes clear of fellow Spaniard Azahara Munoz, who is alone in third place on seven-under. World No. 1 Lydia Ko remains on course for a hat trick of wins following recent triumphs in Australia and her native New Zealand, the 17-year-old carding a two-under 70 to join Stacy Lewis, Karrie Webb and Jenny Shin on six-under overall. Ford opens 1-shot lead In South Africa, Matt Ford opened a one-shot lead at the Africa Open Friday after a second-round 66 took him to 11 under par. Ford didn't repeat his bogey-free first round, but still went one better than his opening 67 after making six birdies and holing out for an eagle two on the par-4 No. 12. He made two bogeys for 6 under on the day at East London Golf Club. Co-leader overnight, the Englishman is ahead on his own from Spaniard Eduardo de la Riva. Both are seeking to end a seven-year winning run by South African golfers at the European Tour event. Jaco van Zyl, Gregory Havret and Erik van Rooyen are three shots off the lead in a tie for third on 8 under. — Agencies
