Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen drained a 30-foot birdie putt at his final hole on Friday to grab the second-round lead at the Northern Trust Open.
A firm, fast Riviera Country Club course was giving players fits in the $6.7 million US PGA Tour event.
Goosen fired a one-under par 70 for a 36-hole total of six-under 136 and a one-stroke lead over Canadian Graham DeLaet and Americans Ryan Moore and Justin Thomas.
Moore had four birdies in his three-under 68, the only blemish on his card a bogey at the 18th.
DeLaet had five birdies and one bogey in his four-under par 67 -- which matched the best round of the day -- while Thomas posted a 69 highlighted by an eagle at the par-five first hole.
Argentinian veteran Angel Cabrera, a former US Open and Masters champion, was alone in fifth place after a 68 for 138.
Goosen said his birdie at his final hole, the par-four ninth, was "a pretty good bonus."
"It wasn't a very good shot in there with a sand wedge into the green, but it's a tough hole there. Any time I birdie on that hole is good," he said.
The 46-year-old, seeking his first US tour victory since the 2009 Transitions Championship, was among six players who shared the first-round lead on five-under par.
He was pleased with his performance in the testing conditions.
"I didn't hit the ball as good as I hit it yesterday," he said. "Today was a little bit scrambling . but I got it up-and-down quite a few times, and that kept the round going.
"The thing is, if you miss the fairway, you can't even stop it with a wedge out of the rough."
Goosen, who has struggled to regain full fitness since back surgery in 2012, said he was excited to be in contention.
"It's been such a long time," he said. "Who knows how my game is going to hold up, but I'm feeling good."
For Moore, the difficult conditions made his closing bogey a little easier to swallow.
"It was a great, solid round of golf," Moore said. "The greens are so firm and so bouncy. I hit a handful of what I would say are as good of shots as I could possibly hit the last couple of days and end up with 45-footers."
Defending champion Bubba Watson, whose win here last year proved a springboard to a second Masters title, carved out a two-under 69 to head a group on three-under 139. He was joined by England's Paul Casey (69), rising US star Jordan Spieth (70), Derek Fathauer (73) and J.B. Holmes (69).
Source: AFP
