Patrick Reed matched his career-best round for the second day in a row, firing another nine-under-par 63 on Friday to grab a two-stroke lead at the PGA Tour event in California.
The 23-year-old American fired eight birdies and an eagle against a lone bogey at La Quinta Country Club to stand on 18-under 126 after 36 holes in a tournament played over three courses at the PGA West complex.
“When you go over to La Quinta, the fairways are much more narrow so you’re really focusing on small targets,” Reed said. “I just got off to a good start hitting it, so I built confidence through the first two holes.”
Reed’s score is the lowest opening 36-hole total since Pat Perez opened with 61-63 at this event in 2009 on the way to his first career title.
Reed started with a birdie, followed by a bogey, then sandwiched birdies at the fourth and the par-5 sixth around an eagle at the par-5 fifth, hitting his second shot to five feet and sinking the eagle putt.
The first-round leader opened the back nine with a birdie, added another at the par-3 12th and ran off three birdies in a row starting at the par-3 15th to stay on top.
Reed is seeking his second PGA title, the first coming last year as a rookie at Greensboro in the final event before the season-ending playoffs.
He could become only the second wire-to-wire winner in the event’s 55-year history, the first being Rik Massengale in 1977.
American Brendon Todd, without a bogey over the first two rounds, fired a PGA career-best 63 at the Arnold Palmer course to stand second on 128 with compatriot Ryan Palmer third another stroke back after a 65 at La Quinta.
Charlie Hoffman was on 130 after a 66 on the Jack Nicklaus course with countrymen Bill Haas and James Driscoll on 131, Charlie Beljan on 132 and Australian Matt Jones plus a pack of seven Americans on 133.
Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa was among a dozen players on 135, a pack that also included Scotsmen Martin Laird and Russell Knox, Australian Stuart Appleby and South African Rory Sabbatini.
American Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, aced the 180-metre, par-3 third hole on the Nicklaus course for the first hole in one of his PGA career.
