Scott pulls four clear at halfway point

Australian Adam Scott defied incessant rain Friday to stamp his authority on the Scottish PGA Championship with a blistering seven-under-par 65 that earned him a four-shot lead early in the second round.

Scott shrugged off his disappointment at missing this week's World Golf Championship NEC Invitational by surging to a 12-under-par aggregate of 132, four shots ahead of his fellow Australian Richard Green.

Green, the overnight leader, suffered an inconsistent morning with four birdies and three bogeys, but the left-hander stayed two shots ahead of Spain's Ignacio Garrido and Britain's Matthew Cort.

Scott, seeking his second win of the year, was delighted with his form, especially his mastery of the PGA Centenary course's par-fives.

"I'm not just here to play but to win this," the 22-year-old from Adelaide said. "Obviously, I would have loved to have played in Seattle but I'm not, so the aim is to win here.

"I feel if I can keep playing like this I can run away with it, but there are a bunch of players who can shoot low round here, so it's important to keep making birdies.

"I'm hitting the ball a lot better now, I managed myself really well in the wet conditions and I've taken advantage of the par-fives."

Scott, a resounding 10-under-par for the 10 par-fives he has played, said his improvement had been made after he scheduled more trips to see his coach Butch Harmon.

"Every time I go to Vegas (Harmon's academy) I come away swinging so well," added Scott.

"Butch has got everything on me from my first lesson with him in October 1999.

"Actually, I thought I hit the ball a lot better then. I liked the way I swung then!"

With a third European success in his sights, Scott is on course to emulate his hero Greg Norman's record of 14 wins in Europe.

"Every clubhouse you go into over here you can see Greg's name on the honors board.

"That's definitely what I want to do and that's a really big reason why I want to win a few tournaments. And at least more than one this year."

It proved an indifferent European Tour debut for last year's U.S. Amateur Champion Bubba Dickerson, whose round of 73 left him short of making the halfway cut.

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