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Schwartzel Grabs Lead at Doral With Clean Round
March 12, 2010

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Charl Schwartzel managed to get around the famed Blue Monster course without a bogey on his way to a 5-under 67 and a one-shot lead on Thursday after a rough-and-tumble day in the World Golf Championship event in Doral, Florida.

Schwartzel, who got into the elite field with two victories in his native South Africa at the start of the season, had five birdies in a mistake-free round.

Not so fortunate were Ernie Els, Robert Allenby and Vijay Singh, all of them poised to claim a share of the lead or better until they stepped to the tee on the 443-yard closing hole that was playing into a wind strong enough to knock hats off heads.

Singh was in the lead until hitting his tee shot into the water and making double bogey, giving him a 68.

Els was tied for the lead until his approach around the palm trees came up short and into the water. He scrambled for a bogey and also wound up with a 68.

Allenby finished with four straight bogeys, the last one when he blasted out of a back bunker and saw his ball roll off the green and nearly into the water. He also finished with a 68.

The south Florida wind, which gives the Blue Monster its fangs, was gusting when the 68-man field teed off and only relented late in the afternoon. Schwartzel got the toughest part of the course — the par-4 No. 18 — out of the way early because he started on the back nine. He was among the few players who made par on a hole that averaged 4.65 strokes — higher than three of the par 5s.

“I didn’t think 67 was out there at the beginning of the day, with the wind as strong as it was,” Schwartzel said. “The big achievement for me today was not making any bogeys. That kept the scorecard very clean.”

Francesco Molinari of Italy was tied for the lead until he went into the water and made double bogey, giving him a 69 and putting him level with Pebble Beach winner Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey. AP