Patrick Reed shot his second-straight round of nine-under 63 on Friday to stretch his lead in the multi-course Humana Challenge to two strokes.
Having performed strongly at PGA West’s Arnold Palmer Private Course on Thursday, Reed followed that up with another impressive round at tree-lined La Quinta, to move clear of nearest challenger Brendon Todd.
Todd had a 63 on the Palmer course. He is the only player in the field without a bogey.
Photo: AFP
The conditions were so calm the ponds looked like glass, the water as still as the plastic swans PGA West uses to scare away geese.
The 23-year-old Reed eagled the par-five fifth hole, hitting a high 5-iron approach that landed softly on the left side of the green and rolled to 4 feet. He also had eight birdies and his lone bogey in 36 holes.
Ryan Palmer was third, three strokes back at 15-under, after a 65 at La Quinta. He also made a short eagle putt on the fifth hole.
Charley Hoffman, the 2007 winner, was 14-under after a 66 on PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Private Course. He had five straight birdies on the front nine.
Bill Haas and James Driscoll were 13-under. Haas, the 2010 winner, had a 66 on the Nicklaus course, and Driscoll shot 63 at La Quinta.
Charlie Beljan was another stroke back, shooting 64 on the Nicklaus course.
Matt Every and playing partner Will MacKenzie were 11-under in a group that included Kapalua winner Zach Johnson, 2005 winner Justin Leonard and Harris English.
Every settled for a 68 on the Palmer course after playing an early five-hole stretch in six-under with four birdies and an eagle. MacKenzie had a 66.
After a long wait at the turn, he made a double bogey on No. 10.
Johnson had an eagle, six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in a 68 on the Nicklaus course, Leonard had a 67 on the Palmer course, and English shot 66 on the Nicklaus course.
Playing alongside Johnson, Keegan Bradley had a hole-in-one in a 66 that left him nine-under overall in his first start of the year. His 7-iron shot on the 177-yard third hole landed about 10 feet short of the pin and rolled in.
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