Fraser shares lead in WGC golf

Marcus Fraser leads and Adam Scott also made a healthy start in the opening round at the WGC event in Florida.

Adam Scott of Australia

Adam Scott has pushed to the lead early in round two of the World Golf Championships event in Miami. (AAP)

Australia's Marcus Fraser is used to feeling anonymous in America but he burst into the spotlight when he claimed a share of the first round lead at the World Golf Championships event in Miami.

A three-time winner on the European tour, including a fortnight ago in Malaysia, Fraser upstaged world golf's big guns with an impressive six-under-66 on Doral's Blue Monster course, leaving him tied at the top with American Scott Piercy.

Having organisers assign an American flag to his name on his caddie's bib, hearing players wonder how he qualified for the elite 66-man event and even argue his world ranking of 58 - all of which happened this week - are par for the course for Fraser.

But the 37-year-old Victorian has never let his low profile be a negative.

Fraser overcame jet lag, having had to travel 32 hours from Perth earlier in the week and also being ranked last in driving distance to grab the front-running on Thursday.

"It's obviously a great way to start, especially in a golf tournament like this and a golf course as strong as this," Fraser said.

"I've obviously got a lot of confidence from today. My previous results at Doral haven't been that great."

Fraser is also hunting a berth at the Masters for the first time, needing to either win the event or finish high enough to lift his world ranking inside the top 50 on March 28 in order to get to Augusta National in April.

Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson sits third after a tidy 67 while Adam Scott also continued his rich vein of form with a 68 leaving him tied fourth.

World No.9 Scott, who was a runner-up in Los Angeles two weeks ago before winning the Honda Classic last week, opened his day with an eagle and finished with two closing birdies.

He has three top-six finishes in the last five years at Doral.

"I'm pleased to take advantage of another good day on the golf course, especially finishing birdie, birdie," Scott said.

"I feel good about that - 68 around here is a good score.

"I just have to kind of flick that switch and almost erase the last couple of weeks and get back at it and want to win as bad as ever."

World No.2 Jason Day, who was playing in the power grouping with No.1 Jordan Spieth and No.3 Rory McIlroy, had to settle for an even par 72.

Spieth shot 69 to be tied eighth while McIlroy was left to rue a double bogey on his final hole for a 71.

Of the other Australians, Marc Leishman shot 73 while little-known Wollongong native Jordan Zunic had a dream start with back to back birdies before a double bogey brought him back to earth and he ended up shooting 75, as did Scott Hend.

Steven Bowditch (81) and Nathan Holman (82) struggled.


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Source: AAP



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