Charley Hoffman survived a bogey on the 18th hole to shoot two-under par 70 and held a one-stroke lead over Jamie Lovemark when the second round of the Shell Houston Open was halted by darkness at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas.
There was a 93-minute morning weather delay brought on by rain and lightning in the area, and 27 players were still on the course when play was halted. They will return to finish the round on Saturday morning.
“Tee to green I did pretty well, but the putts weren’t dropping like they did yesterday,” said Hoffman, who held the first-round lead at 64. “I’m happy where I’m at. Anytime you’re near the lead after 36 holes, you’re happy.”
“I had a fairly straightforward bunker shot (on the final hole) but I caught it a little heavy. That’s a tough hole. They moved the tee up today, but there’s still a big water hazard to the left and the wind was blowing in off the right. It’s tough to putt in the wind. It was blowing my ball.”
Lovemark, the 2007 NCAA champion from USC and Rancho Santa Fe, would have been tied for the lead if not for his only bogey at No. 7 which finishing a 68 on the front nine, while Dustin Johnson carded a 71 and was two strokes back in a tie for third with Chez Reavie, who had a 68, and Roberto Castro and Jamie Donaldson of Wales, who both were at 8-under through 14 holes when the end came.
Will MaKenzie was another shot behind in solo seventh following a 68, and Charles Howell III posted a 69 and was four strokes down in a tie for eighth with Russell Henley, who totaled 68, Harris English, who shot 70, and Martin Laird and Kyle Stanley, who were 6-under while on the back nine.
Rickie Fowler was five back in a tie for 13th after a 70, while Jordan Spieth (73), Henrik Stenson (71) of Sweden, Phil Mickelson (71) and Patrick Reed (71) were in a tie for 20th, six strokes behind.
