MIAMI: J.B. Holmes hit four balls into the water but emerged with a one-over 73 that saw his lead slashed in half after two rounds of the WGC-Cadillac Championship, where Rory McIlroy made headlines for the wrong reasons.

After a stunning 62 on Thursday, Holmes had a 36-hole total of nine-under-par 135, his four-shot overnight lead over Ryan Moore whittled to two strokes over his fellow American.