Jordan Spieth collected five birdies in seven holes while finishing on the front nine and posted a bogey-free, 9-under-par 63 on the North Course to take a one-stroke lead over Stewart Cink midway through the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla.
Spieth, bouncing back from a missed cut in the Sony Open in Hawaii, recorded his brilliant round while playing alongside defending champion Tiger Woods, who shot 71 to make the cut by two strokes.
“I putted a lot better,” said Spieth, who missed the cut at Torrey Pines last year as a rookie. “I made a little change, had my weight more on my front foot because I was having a tendency to push the ball on shorter putts. I was more stable today. I plotted my way around an easier golf course in good conditions.
“It’s not the first time I’ve played with (Woods). I’ve been around him a little bit and he’s easy to play with. He talks to you and we played at a good pace. I just played my game and didn’t know where I stood until No. 9 (his final hole).”
Cink followed his opening 64 with a 71 on the more difficult South Course, two-putting for a birdie on his final hole, No. 9.
Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium recorded the best score of the day on the South Course, a bogey-free 67, and was alone in third, two shots back.
Billy Horschel, whose only victory on the PGA Tour came last year in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, carded a 67 on the North Course and was tied for fourth with Marc Leishman of Australia, who had a 71 on the South.
Phil Mickelson, who complained of a tight back after shooting 69 in round one on the South Course, recorded five bogeys while carding a 73 on the North and was tied for 32nd.
Woods, who has won eight times at Torrey Pines including the 2008 U.S. Open, had two birdies on his first six holes, but none the rest of the day and was tied for 50th after he took his only bogey on No. 9, his last hole.
