Sharma drops to 58th, Woods rises to 8th

Mexico City, February 23 

Shubhankar Sharma had a rough time on the back-nine as he slipped to tied-58th at the halfway stage of the $10.25 million World Golf Championships-Mexico. 

The 22-year-old, who hit the spotlight at the same stage last year, shot a poor

6-over 77, which included a five-hole stretch from the 14th that saw three bogeys and a double bogey.

Sharma, who started on the 10th, never really got going as he had four bogeys and a double. He was six-over at the turn and his only consolation was a birdie on the first hole, but he gave that back with a bogey on fifth. Sharma hit 8 of 14 fairways and 9 of 18 greens in regulation. 

Bogey-free Johnson grabs two-shot advantage

Dustin Johnson surged to a two-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and Matt Kuchar with a flawless 4-under 67 in the second round. 

The world No. 3 wiped out Northern Irishman McIlroy’s early four-stroke advantage at the Club de Golf Chapultepec to wind up at 11-under 131 for the tournament. “The greens are really tricky, but I have done a really good job of controlling the distance with my irons and give myself lots of looks at birdies,” Johnson said.

A winner two years ago at the high-altitude course outside Mexico City, the American said he enjoyed playing the challenging layout.

Overnight leader McIlroy, who shot a first-round 63, looked set to break open the tournament with birdies at three of his first four holes but a bogey at the sixth and a double at the ninth left him with a 70.

Kuchar’s six-birdie 67 kept him at the top end of the leaderboard, while Tiger Woods and defending champion Phil Mickelson were on the move.

Woods found his putting touch to advance to within six shots of the lead with a 66 and Mickelson rebounded from an opening 79 with the joint best round of the day, a 65. — Agencies