Ace-High Holmes Up by Five at WGC-Cadillac Championship


Aided by an ace on the fourth hole, J.B. Holmes is in great position for a wire-to-wire win at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. The $9.25 million event began Thursday on the tough Blue Monster course at Trump National Doral in Miami.

Holmes had to share his shot-of-the-day honors with Dustin Johnson, who minutes earlier also got a hole-in-on on the 207-yard par-3 fourth. The two aces came within a half-hour of each other as Johnson was two groups ahead of Holmes.

The amazing sequence was particularly effective for Holmes, who continues to leverage his first-round 10-under 62 that no other player in the elite field has come close to.

On Saturday the 32-year-old Kentuckian also carded four bogeys and four straight birdies on Nos. 14-17 for a 2-under 70 and a 54-hole total of 11-under 205, five strokes ahead of Johnson, who posted a 69, and No. 2-ranked Bubba Watson (70).

Trailing by six is Ryan Moore (74), while seven back of Holmes at 212 are American Bill Haas, South African Louis Oosthuizen (67) and Sweden's Henrik Stenson (72). Haas fired a 7-under 65 that's the second-best round of the tournament.

Tied for eighth at 213 are England's Lee Westwood (70), North Carolinian Webb Simpson (70), Spain's Sergio Garcia (71) and Australia's Adam Scott (75).

Sharing 12th at 1-under 215 are defending champion Patrick Reed (71), Morgan Hoffman (71), Ryan Palmer (74), France's Victor Dubuisson (70) and No. 1-ranked Rory McIlroy (72).

There are no other players under par after 54 holes.

The tournament, which has no 36-hole cut, boasts the top-50 players in the world.

For complete scoring details, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.html.