SAN DIEGO, January 28, 2012 (AFP) - Kyle Stanley shook off a double-bogey to card a second-round 68 on the Torrey Pines South Course on Friday, taking sole possession of the lead in the US PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open.
Stanley, who shared the overnight lead after a 62 on the Torrey North Course, had seven birdies in his four-under effort on the tougher South Course, to counter his double-bogey six on the 14th -- where he was in the hazard -- and one bogey.
His 14-under total of 130 put him one stroke in front of Brandt Snedeker, who posted a 64 on the North Course.
Stanley, who teed off on No. 10, made two quick birdies before his miscue at 14, where he missed a five-footer that would have given him a bogey.
"I got off to a good start, and it was tough to take," he said. "But you've just got to be patient out here."
After a bogey at the par-three 16th, he warmed up again and finished with birdies at all of the par-fives.
That included a birdie from a bunker at the par-five ninth to close his round.
Snedeker had hip surgery late last year, and admitted he was surprised to be playing so well in his second event of 2012.
"I'm certainly surprised that I played this well this fast. Normally, it takes me a while to get the rust off. But my practice at home went really, really well," he said. "I was actually chomping at the bit to get out here because I knew I was playing well.
"Hopefully, that can happen through the weekend."
South Korean Bae Sang-moon, a newcomer to the US tour who is ranked 34th in the world, carded a 67 on the South Course to share third place on 132 with Martin Flores, who also carded a 67.
Phil Mickelson, who lives nearby, was among the notables missing the cut.
Mickelson's second-round 68 wasn't enough after a first-round 77, although the American said his practice had been going so well that "there is not any one area of my game that I don’t feel good about."
Mickelson may have been distracted by family concerns.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on its website Friday that his 10-year-old daughter Sophia fainted at school last week, although Mickelson's wife, Amy, told the newspaper's reporter at Torrey Pines that the child was doing fine.
Those missing the cut also included South Korean Yang Yong-eun, Argentina's Angel Cabrera, New Zealand's Danny Lee and Rocco Mediate -- who fell to injury-hobbled Tiger Woods in a US Open playoff at Torrey Pines in 2008.
Spencer Levin, who shared the first-round lead with Stanley, ballooned to a 76 on Friday to join a group tied for 20th on 138.
Leading scores here on Friday in the second round of the US PGA Tour $6 million Farmers Insurance Open (USA unless noted, all par-72):
130 - Kyle Stanley 62-68
131 - Brandt Snedeker 67-64
132 - Bae Sang-moon (KOR) 65-67, Martin Flores 65-67
134 - Hunter Mahan 69-65, Bill Haas 63-71
135 - Robert Allenby (AUS) 68-67, Justin Leonard 65-70, John Rollins 70-65, John Huh 64-71
136 - Pat Perez 66-70
137 - James Driscoll 68-69, Nick Watney 69-68, Chris Riley 67-70, Greg Chalmers (AUS) 65-72, Camilo Villegas (COL) 65-72, Stewart Cink 69-68, Jhonattan Vegas (VEN) 69-68, Keegan Bradley 69-68
138 - Boo Weekley 71-67, Jimmy Walker 73-65, Chris DiMarco 68-70, Tim Herron 68-70, Scott Piercy 70-68, Rickie Fowler 68-70, Spencer Levin 62-76, Dustin Johnson 66-72, Marc Turnesa 66-72, Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 69-69