PALM SPRINGS, January 18, 2014 (AFP) - 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 an event 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 61-63 at this event in 2009 on the way to his first career title.
Reed opened with a birdie, followed with 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, who had fired 63s only twice before on tour before shooting them twice in as many days, seeks his second PGA title, the first coming last year as a PGA rookie at Greensboro in the final event before the PGA's 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, the only player 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, another US standout, 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.
South Koreans Charlie Wi and Noh Seung-Yul were on 134 along with Americans Ben Crane, Jerry Kelly, Cameron Tringale and Martin Flores.
Japan's Ryo Ishikawa was among a dozen players on 135, a pack that also included Scotsmen Martin Laird and Russell Knox, Aussie Stuart Appleby and South African Rory Sabbatini.
American Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, aced the 180-yard, par-3 third hole on the Nicklaus course for the first hole in one of his PGA career.
Scores after Friday's second round of the $5.7 million US PGA Tour Humana Challenge at the PGA West complex (par-72, USA unless noted):
126 - Patrick Reed 63-63
128 - Brendon Todd 65-63
129 - Ryan Palmer 64-65
130 - Charley Hoffman 64-66
131 - Bill Haas 65-66, James Driscoll 68-63
132 - Charlie Beljan 68-64
133 - Matt Every 65-68, Will MacKenzie 67-66, Justin Leonard 66-67, Matt Jones (AUS) 66-67, Daniel Summerhays 64-69, Harris English 67-66, Brian Stuard 67-66, Zach Johnson 65-68
134 - Ben Crane 70-64, Jerry Kelly 69-65, Cameron Tringale 68-66, Martin Flores 69-65, Charlie Wi (KOR) 65-69, Noh Seung-Yul (KOR) 68-66
135 - Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 68-67, Russell Knox (SCO) 65-70, Kevin Stadler 69-66, Justin Hicks 64-71, Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 66-69, Brian Harman 69-66, Jason Bohn 70-65, Martin Laird (SCO) 69-66, Keegan Bradley 69-66, Scott Brown 67-68, Stuart Appleby (AUS) 66-69, Jim Herman 67-68