Brendan Steele stumbled near the finish, but holds the lead after two rounds of the Honda Classic.
Steele made bogeys on two of the last three holes to shoot 3-under-par 67 and is one-stroke ahead of Englishmen Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, and J.T. Poston on the Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa www.pgaresort.com in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
“I’m really happy with my game; everything is really solid all the way through the bag,” said Steele, who is from Idyllwild in the Southern California mountains and UC Riverside. “I felt this good at the Sony and it paid off.
“I’m looking forward to the weekend, but it’s going to be a grind. It’s really hard around here. There are no easy shots on this golf course … the greens are faster than I have ever seen them … and I just have to be ready.”
It was an exciting finish for Steele on the famed “Bear Trap,” where he lipped out his tee shot on the 15th hole and tapped in for birdie, couldn’t get up-and-down for a par from a greenside bunker on the next hole, sank a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 17 and finished with another bogey after hitting his approach shot into the water.
Steele, who lost in a playoff to Cameron Smith of Australia at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January after taking a three-stroke lead to the final round, collected four of his five birdies on the back nine while posting a 36-hole score of 5-under 135.
Donald, who claimed the last of his five PGA Tour victories in the 2012 Transitions Championship, made six birdies on the back nine while to tie the low score of the day at 66, while Poston birdied the last two holes for a 69 that was matched by Westwood.
“A back injury at 40 years old, you can lose a bit of momentum,” said Donald, who now is 42. “You know, just not being out there, getting the reps in with the competitive feelings, it takes some time to get that back.
“Obviously confidence breeds confidence, and you need to keep kind of plugging away and getting yourself into position to really help for future times you’re in position.”
Reigning U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland carded a 67 and is two strokes back in a tie for fifth with Nick Watney of Davis and Fresno State, who made a three-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 66, Cameron Davis of Australia, who had two late birdies to shoot 67, and Sepp Straka of Austria, who also wound up at 67.
British Open champion Shane Lowry of Ireland posted a 69 that was highlighted by a 19-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole and is one more down in a tie for seventh with Tommy Fleetwood of England (68), Sungjae Im of South Korea (66), Charl Schwartzel of South Africa (69), Jamie Lovemark of Rancho Santa Fe and USC (69) and Richy Werensky (68).
Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, the 2017 Honda champion, totaled 76-68—144 and missed the cut by one stroke, 13th-ranked Justin Rose of England missed by three at 72-74—146, as did two-time Honda winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland, also at 72-74—146.
Defending champion Keith Mitchell shot 75-72—147 to miss by four, and third-ranked Brooks Koepka missed by five at 74-74—148.
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