Golf roundup

By: ASSOCIATED PRESS | The Associated Press
Published: January 28, 2012

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates --

The tougher South Course at Torrey Pines suited Kyle Stanley just fine Friday in the Farmers Insurance Open.

Stanley overcame a double bogey early in his round by running off four birdies on the front nine for a 4-under 68, giving him a one-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker going into the weekend.

Snedeker, who first gained notoriety as a rookie at Torrey Pines when he shot 61 on the North Course, had a 64 on the North to make a swift climb up the leader board. He is coming off hip surgery at the end of last year and made his season debut at the Humana Challenge last week, where he tied for eighth. And here he is again.

"I'm certainly surprised that I played this well this fast," Snedeker said. "Normally, it takes me a while to get the rust off. But my practice at home went really, really well. I was actually champing at the bit to get out here because I knew I was playing well.

"Hopefully, that can happen through the weekend."

Stanley, long off the tee and as polished as any of the PGA Tour rookies who won last year, was at 14-under 130.

A tournament already missing Tiger Woods will have to do without hometown star Phil Mickelson on the weekend. He shot himself out of the tournament with a 77 on the South in the opening round, and didn't make nearly enough birdies on the North to make the cut. Mickelson had to settle for a 68, missing the cut for the first time in 10 years at Torrey Pines.

Sang-Moon Bae, a PGA Tour rookie who is No. 34 in the world, had a 67 to match the best score on the South for the second round. That put him two shots behind at 12-under 132, along with Martin Flores, who also had a 67 on the South.

Hunter Mahan shot 65 on the North, and FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas had a 71 on the South. They were three shots behind.

John Rollins (VCU and Meadowbrook) shot a 65 and was five shots off the lead.

Woods makes move

Tiger Woods moved into contention in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship with a 3-under 69.

He had three birdies in a five-hole stretch to finish two shots behind leader Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark.

Woods, who was three shots back after the first round, finished with a two-round total of 139.

Olesen (67-137) has a one-shot lead over three players, including 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero (65).