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Tiger takes lead at Torrey Pines

Tiger Woods hits his tee shot on the 9th hole of the north course at Torrey Pines during the second round of the Buick Invitational in San Diego, California, on Friday. PHOTO: EPA

Three-time defending champion Tiger Woods fired a seven-under 65 on Friday to open a four-shot lead at the US$5.2 million PGA Buick Invitational.

Woods, who played the Torrey Pines north course, is at 12-under 132 after 36 holes. Woods leads Kevin Streelman by four shots and Stewart Cink by five strokes.

"My iron game was good and I made of bunch of putts, which can sometimes be a pretty tricky task out there," Woods said. "I got a couple of good bounces on the greens which was nice."

Aussie Aaron Baddeley, Boo Weekley and Brad Adamonis are six shots back at 138.

Woods, a five-time winner at Torrey Pines, has not been please with his driving this week.

"I drove it like a dog yesterday," he said. "But today I over-shaped them. That's fine. I can face that, which is not a problem."

Woods devoured the north course on Friday, considered the easier of the two. His bogey-free 65 was two shots better than the 67 he posted in the first round at the south course.

Starting on the back nine, Woods began slowly with pars on his first three holes. He made birdie on the 13th and the 16th.

A birdie on his ninth hole moved Woods into a share of the lead with Streelman, and he followed it with three consecutive birdies at Nos. 1-3 to build a three-shot lead.

A closing birdie on the final hole gave Woods a four-stroke gap heading into the weekend.

PGA Tour rookie Streelman, an alternate who didn't know he was in the event until just before the first round started, held the lead early, getting to eight-under after making birdie on three of his first four holes on the South Course. Streelman carded a 69 that included four birdies and one bogey.

As troublesome as Woods' driver has been, his irons and short game have been tremendous. He has hit 29-of-36 greens in regulation, made fewer than 30 putts both days and even chipped into the cup on the sixth hole on Friday.

"I've gotten some pretty good breaks the past couple of days," Woods said. "Some pretty good lies in the rough and I've hit my irons well and that's important. I've made a lot of putts."

Woods knows though, that when he gets back on the south course, where the final two rounds will be played, he has to find the fairway more.

"You have to hit the ball better on the South," Woods said. "The golf course is a lot longer."

"They were pretty generous with the pins the first day because you're going to have the entire field play basically in the same areas for the next few days," he said.

"Pins weren't exactly tucked but I'm sure come the weekend they'll make them a little bit more difficult," Woods said.
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