Singh Gets Title Defense on Track
Orlando, FL (Sports Network) – Defending champion Vijay Singh fired a five- under 65 on Friday to grab the second-round lead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Singh completed 36 holes at nine-under 131 and he owns a two-shot lead at Bay Hill Golf Club and Lodge.
Tiger Woods’ attempt for a fifth consecutive PGA Tour win is in some jeopardy. Woods shot a two-under 68 on Friday and is seven shots behind Singh at minus- two.
Woods, who won this title four years in a row from 2000-03, only managed an even-par 70 on Thursday. He broke into red figures early on Friday with a long birdie putt at the second.
At the par-five sixth, Woods’ second did not find the putting surface. The No. 1 player in the world pitched to four feet and made the birdie putt to reach two-under par for the championship.
He bogeyed the eighth, but rebounded with a 12-foot birdie putt at the ninth. Woods parred every hole on the back nine to give himself a fighting chance on the weekend.
“I’ll have to play better and make a lot more putts than I have been,” acknowledged Woods, who is tied for 20th place. “I just never got the speed of these things today. I kept leaving them short and had a hard time getting to the hole.”
Phil Mickelson rebounded from his opening-round 72 with a three-under 67 Friday. He is part of a large group tied for 29th place at one-under 139.
“If I can just hold in a position to where, you know, five-, six-, seven-under par round tomorrow will give me a chance on Sunday, that’s all I’m hoping for,” said Mickelson.
Sweden’s Carl Pettersson also shot a 65 on Friday and is alone in second place at minus-seven.
Former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk (67), Ken Duke (67) and Lee Westwood (68) share third place at six-under 134.
They are looking up at last year’s winner.
Singh began his second round on the back nine and parred his first two holes. He rattled off three straight birdies from the 12th to make the turn at seven- under par for the championship.
At the par-four opening hole, Singh drove into the right rough and never recovered. He pitched out and missed his seven-foot effort to save par.
Singh drained a 19-foot birdie putt at the par-four fourth to return to seven- under par. At the par-five sixth, Singh missed the green with his second, but holed his chip from off the green for the eagle that gave him first place.
He parred his remaining three holes for the second-round lead.
“I hit the ball really good off the tee,” said Singh. “I gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities. Not doing anything special. Not doing anything too much wrong.”
Singh’s victory last year gave him four top 10s here since 2001.
“I’m just very familiar, very aware of where to hit it and where not to hit it, and just the familiarity I have with the golf course, the better I play,” said Singh. “My game plan is the same. I don’t change my game plan.”
Singh’s year has been up and down. He seemed to have the win in Pebble Beach well in hand, but four back-nine bogeys on Sunday dropped him into a playoff, which Steve Lowery eventually won.
“It’s a good experience to be in that situation and throw away a tournament,” said Singh, a 31-time winner on the PGA Tour. “You think back and you go back and think about what you’ve done.”
This week, Singh has battled stomach problems and briefly considered pulling out.
Good thing he didn’t.
“I was very weak, you know, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, but you start eating and you gain it back pretty quickly,” he said.
J.J. Henry, who shared the overnight lead, shot an even-par 70 on Friday and is tied for sixth place with Cliff Kresge (68), Tom Lehman (69) and Vaughn Taylor (67). The group came in at minus-five.
First-round co-leader and newly minted U.S. Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples struggled on Friday. He carded a three-over 73 and is tied for 20th place at minus-two.
The 36-hole cut fell at two-over-par 142. Colin Montgomerie (143), Luke Donald (143), last year’s runner-up Rocco Mediate (143), Paul Casey (147) and Charles Howell III (147) all missed the weekend.
03/14 19:33:15 ET