SHENZHEN, China -- Louis Oosthuizen shot a 9-under 63 to take a commanding 5-shot lead after 36 holes of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions on Friday. Here are some notes from Round 2:
Louis Oosthuizen (SAF), 65-63--128 (-16)
• Louis Oosthuizen made his first bogey of the week on the par-3 second hole, but rebounded quickly and posted seven birdies and one eagle en route to a 63 (-9), tying the tournament's 18-hole record since becoming a World Golf Championships event in 2009. An hour or so later, fellow countryman Ernie Els matched him with a 63 (-9) of his own.
• Oosthuizen also shot during the second round of the 2011 HSBC Champions and Els did so during the final round of the 2009 event. Three others have carded a 63 at the HSBC Champions since 2009, all during the final rounds: Martin Kaymer, 2011; Rory McIlroy, 2009; Daisuke Maruyama, 2009.
• Oosthuizen has posted the lowest 36-hole score in World Golf Championships history, bettering the 15-under-par total recorded by Tiger Woods at the 2000 Bridgestone Invitational and 2006 Cadillac Championship.
• He also sets the 36-hole record for the HSBC Champions, bettering the previous low mark of 132 (-12), recorded in the event's inaugural year by Nick Dougherty. All seven previous HSBC Champions were held at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.
• Oosthuizen made birdie on all five of Mission Hills Golf Club's par 5s in Round 1, and added four birdies and an eagle on Friday, bringing him to 11-under-par on the par 5s through two rounds. His eagle 3 on No. 7 started a five-hole, 6-under-par run through the par-5, 11th hole.
• While Oosthuizen was at 9-under-par in round two alone, there are only six players at that score or better for their 36-hole total: Adam Scott (-11); Els (-11); Shane Lowry (-10); Jason Dufner (-10); Phil Mickelson (-9); and Dustin Johnson (-9).
• Oosthuizen opened up a five-stroke lead over Scott and Els. No player has ever led by more than one stroke after 36 holes in the history of this event.
• Oosthuizen's five-stroke lead ties for the second-largest 36-hole lead in World Golf Championships history, behind Woods' seven-shot lead after two rounds of the 2000 Bridgestone Invitational. Woods led by five after 36 holes at the 2003 and 2006 Cadillac Championship. Throwing out those three leads, plus Oosthuizen's from today, the average lead after 36 holes in WGC history has been 1.034 strokes.
• The lowest 72-hole total in HSBC Champions history was posted in 2005 (David Howell) and 2011 (Kaymer) at 20-under-par, just four shots better than where Oosthuizen stands now. The 72-hole World Golf Championships record is held by Woods at 25-under par, 2002 Cadillac Championship.
• Oosthuizen made the field based on his final FedExCup standing (No. 7). He's won twice on the European Tour this season, but neither event's field was strong enough to qualify him for the HSBC Champions (African Open, co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour; and Maybank Malaysian Open, co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour).
• His most recent World Golf Championships start resulted in his best performance, a fourth-place finish at the Bridgestone Invitational. Oosthuizen finished T7 at this event last year, buoyed by a 63 in the second round.
• A win at the HSBC Champions would make Oosthuizen the 11th different player to capture both a World Golf Championships event and a major championship, joining Stewart Cink, Darren Clarke, Els, Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, David Toms, Mike Weir, Woods and last year's HSBC Champions winner Kaymer.
Adam Scott (AUS), 65-68--133 (-11)
• Playing in the group directly behind fellow 18-hole leader Oosthuizen, Scott tried to keep pace with the South African and posted a respectable 68 (-4), but found himself five shots back by day's end. He was 6-under-par on the five par-5s in Round 1, compared to 4-under-par on those same holes in round two.
• Through 36 holes, Scott is 9-under-par on the front nine at Mission Hills Golf Club-Olazabal Course, compared to 2-under-par on the back (he shot even par on the back nine Friday).
• Like Oosthuizen, Scott made the field based on his final FedExCup standing (No. 25) and was the last player in the field via that category.
• Winner of the 2011 Bridgestone Invitational, his lone World Golf Championships victory and most recent win, a win this week would put Scott in a group with six other players who have multiple World Golf Championships victories: Woods (16), Ogilvy (3), Clarke (2), Els (2), Mickelson (2), Hunter Mahan (2).
Ernie Els (SAF), 70-63--133 (-11)
• Els carded the low nine-hole score of the week thus far, a 29 (-7) on the front nine of the Olazabal Course. His career-low round in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event is a 29 on the front nine at Muirfield Village during the 2002 British Open, also during the second round. Els won that week, his third of four career major championships.
• Els kept his card bogey-free, posting two more birdies on the back nine for a tournament-record-tying 63 (-9). He is the only player who remains bogey-free through 36 holes. Els also posted a 63 during the final round of the 2009 event. In addition to Oosthuizen's 63 today and during the second round of the 2011 HSBC Champions, three others have carded a 63 at the HSBC Champions since 2009, all during the final rounds: Kaymer, 2011; McIlroy, 2009; Maruyama, 2009.
• World Golf Hall of Fame member Els owns two WGC-Cadillac Championship titles. A win this week would give Els three World Golf Championships titles and put him tied with Ogilvy (3) behind Woods (16) for most WGC wins.
• Winner of the 2012 British Open, a win this week would make Els only the third player to capture both a World Golf Championships event and a major championship in the same season, joining Ogilvy (2006 Accenture Match Play Championship and U.S. Open) and Woods (eight different seasons).
• Els will be 43 years, 18 days old on Sunday. A win here would make him the second-oldest player to win a World Golf Championships event and the first player in his 40s to win two WGC titles.
Oldest World Golf Championships event winners:
• Singh, 2008 Bridgestone Invitational, 45 years, 5 months, 12 days old
• Els, 2010 Cadillac Championship, 40 years, 4 months, 25 days
• Mickelson, 2009 HSBC Champions, 39 years, 4 months, 23 days old
• Mickelson, 2009 Cadillac Championship, 38 years, 8 months, 27 days
• Toms, 2005 Accenture Match Play Championship, 38 years, 1 month, 23 days
• Kevin Sutherland, 2002 Accenture Match Play Championship, 37 years, 7 months, 20 days
Miscellaneous notes
• There are 16 Ryder Cup players from the 2012 Ryder Cup playing in this year's event and four are in the top 10 after round two:
• Team Europe (10 in the field this week): Luke Donald (T8); Nicolas Colsaerts (T56); Peter Hanson (T12); Kaymer (T12); Paul Lawrie (T24); Graeme McDowell (T56); Francesco Molinari (T38); Justin Rose (T31); Ian Poulter (T12); Lee Westwood (T12)
• Team USA (6 in the field this week): Keegan Bradley (T22); Jason Dufner (T4); Dustin Johnson (T6); Mickelson (T6); Brandt Snedeker (T38); Bubba Watson (T17)
• Defending champion Kaymer carded rounds of 68-69 and stands at T12 through 36 holes, nine shots off Oosthuizen's pace. He is attempting to become the only player other than Woods to successfully defend a World Golf Championships title.
• World Golf Hall of Fame member Mickelson was bogey-free in Round 1, but carded two bogeys (No. 6 and No. 14) and a double-bogey (No. 18) to lose ground on Oosthuizen, finishing 36 holes at 135 (-9). Mickelson has recorded three eagles this week, one on No. 9 during Round 1 and then on No. 4 and 7 during Round 2. Mickelson is a two-time winner of the HSBC (2007, 2009).
• Poulter, winner of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2010, is the only player in the field who has competed in all seven previous HSBC Champions. Poulter's best finish is a T13 in 2010 and 2011. He has carded rounds of 69-68 this week and stands at T12, nine shots off the pace.
Bogey-free rounds:
Thursday: Oosthuizen (65); Mickelson (66); Prom Meesawat (67); Els (70)
Friday: Els (63); Bill Haas (67); Marc Leishman (68)
HSBC Champions and PGA TOUR eligibility for 2012
• For 2012, the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions will count as an official PGA TOUR victory and offer a three-year exemption on the PGA TOUR -- provided it is won by a PGA TOUR member.
• If a non-PGA TOUR member wins the HSBC Champions, he would not receive a PGA TOUR exemption, but he would qualify for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
• Prize money from the $7 million purse does NOT, however, count toward the official PGA TOUR money list, even if a PGA TOUR member wins.
• Beginning in 2013, the HSBC Champions will be a part of the FedExCup schedule.
