Imperious Young five clear and cruising at the Blue Monster

Scottie Scheffler can still win the Cadillac Championship, but the world number one admits he’ll need help from runaway leader Cameron Young at Trump National, Miami.

Players Championship winner Young made has made just one bogey over the opening 36 holes, reeling off six birdies in five under 67 to lead by five shots on 13-under from Nick Taylor, Jordan Spieth and Alex Smalley.

Scheffler is two shots further back, seven behind after matching Young’s 67 yesterday and he knows he has to make a move today.

“I definitely need to not get further away,” Scheffler said. “No, it depends on how the golf course is playing. All I can do is go out there and be committed to what I need to do and that’s pretty much it.”

Hoping that Young fades might be wishful thinking.

The world number four, who held a share of the 54-hole lead with Rory McIlroy at the Masters beffore finishing tied third, remains imperious form at the Blue Monster.

After going out in four under 32 to get to 12 under following his bogey-free 64 on Thursday, he dropped his only shot of the week so far at the 14th, where he had a difficult chip.

He got that shot back quickly, driving the green at the par-four 16th to set up a two putt birdie.

“There’s a lot of golf to be played on a difficult golf course,” Young said. “But so far, I’ve played well.”

He played with Scheffler for the first two days and looked like a man on a mission.

His immediate chasers -  Taylor (70), Smalley (71) and Spieth (71) -  have their work cut out while the resurgent Gary Woodland (69) is six behind with Scheffler in a six-man group tied for sixth, seven adrift, that includes England’s Alex Fitzpatrick (66).

Despite his lead, Young knows that it can never evaporate quickly on a track where Shane Lowry - who has opted against joining Rory McIlroy in next week’s signature event Truist Championship at Quail Hollow - triple-bogeyed the short 15th last night en route to a 75 that leaves him tied for 61st on three over.

“I may have a two- or three- or four-shot lead starting tomorrow, but it just goes away so fast out here,” Young said. “There’s no sense really playing like you have a four-shot lead. You might as well play like you’re four back.”

Lowry's next stop will be the PGA Championship at Aronomink but Tom McKibbin’s second appearance in that event is not guaranteed after he missed the cut in the Turkish Airlines Open.

A 75 left him three shots outside the mark at National Golf Club in Belek, and at 99th in the world, he could fall outside the top 100 who traditionally receive an invitation from the PGA of America.

At the top of the leaderboard, Italy’s Gregorio De Leo shot 68 to take a one-shot lead over Alejandro Del Rey, Jens Dantorp, Kazuma Kobori and Sam Bairstow on seven under.

On the LET, Lahinch’s Aine Donegan opened with a one-under 71 to share 30th place, seven shots behind Order of Merit leader Agathe Laisné in the MCB Ladies Classic – Mauritius.

The French star (26) made ten birdies in an eight-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over South Africa’s Cara Gorlei.

Anna Foster followed five dropped shots around the turn with birdies at three of her last four holes to shoot 72 as Olivia Mehaffey carded a 74.

Catching the leader will be a mammoth task for Padraig Harrington in the Regions Tradition in Alabama.

The Dubliner made four birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey in a two-over-par 74 at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham last night.

At three under par, he's tied for 29th and 11 strokes behind Stewart Cink who shot a seven under 65 to lead by two shots from Charlie Wi (66) on 14 under.

Cink is bidding for back to back senior Major wins after winning the Senior PGA in Florida two weeks ago.

“I executed some nice shots,” Cink (52) said. “I made a long putt on 17. Had a couple two-putt birdies, a couple pretty simple up-and-downs.

“It was really nothing for the history books, it was just some good play.”

Darren Clarke shot 72 to share 59th on two over.

In the LPGA’s Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba, Brianna Do (69) and world number one Nelly Korda (67) lead by two shots on nine under from Melanie Green.

Lauren Walsh is 41st on level par after a second successive 72 but Stephanie Meadow missed the cut on five over after a 74.