Steve Marino fired a six-under 66 on Friday to seize the lead at 13-under 131 after two rounds of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
For the second day in a row, Marino nabbed seven birdies, this time on the par-72 Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of three courses in use for the tournament.
“This tournament is kind of strange,” Marino said of the event. “You play a different course every day. You’re playing with amateur partners. It’s a little more low-key and laid back.”
D.A. Points was second after posting a 70 on the par-72 Spyglass Hill course for a total of 133.
Points’ nine-under total put him four off the lead in relation to par.
Marino and Points had started the day level atop the leaderboard in relation to par — Marino with a first-round 65 at Spyglass and Points after a 63 at the par-70 Monterey Peninsula layout on Thursday.
Marino made his first bogey of the week at the par-five 14th at Pebble Beach, but responded with birdies at three of his final four holes.
He punctuated his second round with a 4.6m birdie putt at the 18th.
Keegan Bradley posted a 69 at Spyglass for an eight-under total of 134.
Bradley is the nephew of LPGA Hall of Fame golfer Pat Bradley, who followed his round.
He was born in 1986, the year his aunt won three of four women’s major championships.
“Pat and I have a lot of similarities in our game, in our approach to the game, our work ethic,” he said. “I look up to her in a lot of different ways, and that’s one of the ways. I try to emulate her toughness and work ethic.”
A group of 10 players at four-under included Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who played alongside Marino and carded a -second-round 68.
“We’ve really had a relaxed two days so far,” said Harrington, a three-time major champion. “It’s easy to play good golf when your playing partner is playing well and you see him making birdies.”
Like Marino, Harrington bogeyed the 14th. Harrington was plugged in a bunker and his shot out ran off the back of the green.
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