Na in Solo first at Crowne Plaza Invitational


After opening with a 6-under 64 to take a share of the lead, Kevin Na heads into the weekend at the PGA Tour's $6.5 million Crowne Plaza Invitational alone in first place following a 66 on Friday at Colonial Country Club in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Na, a 31-year-old Las Vegas resident, has played well this year. In 15 starts, the one-time Tour winner has five top-10s and earnings of $1,869,022. In his previous event, the Players Championship, Na finished tied for sixth after sharing the halfway lead at TPC Sawgrass with Jerry Kelly.

Na stands at 10-under 130, two strokes ahead of England's Ian Poulter, who shot a 67, three clear of 2013 Colonial champion Boo Weekley (69), and four in front of Americans George McNeill and Brian Harman.

"I had a lot of fun today. Made a lot of putts," said Na, who began Friday sharing the 18-hole lead with Weekley, Dallas resident Jordan Spieth and Japan's Ryo Ishikawa.

Na was sailing along nicely for most of the day. After a birdie on the front nine, he tacked on four more before arriving at the par-4 18th hole. But the winner of the 2011 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open pushed his drive into a water-filled creek. After a brilliant and blind shot that found the back fringe, he two-putted for his lone dropped shot of the day.

About his errant drive on the 18th, Na noted, "It's a tough golf hole. You have to find the fairway. I just came out of it a little bit; it wasn't that bad of a golf swing. I was happy to walk away with a five."

As for having the lead heading into Saturday, an upbeat Na added, "I just want to keep having fun and keep the foot on the gas."

Sharing sixth at 135 are Canada's Adam Hadwin (66), California's Charley Hoffman (69), Australians Marc Leishman and Danny Lee - who posted 69s - and Fiji's Vijay Singh, who carded a 66.

Tied for 11th are Canada's Nick Taylor (68), Brandt Snedeker (69), Kevin Kisner (69) and Texan Shawn Stefani (69).

After completing his 64 just before darkness fell Thursday because of a lengthy rain delay that morning, Spieth went out early Friday. Midway through the round the skies opened and the rain returned, but did not cause another suspension. Unfortunately, Spieth's play was spotty.

Starting on the 10th tee, he had a birdie on the par-4 14th (his fifth hole) but struggled on the back, adding a birdie along with two bogeys and a triple at the par-4 fifth for a 73.

"That's kind of unlike me," Spieth said of going 5-over on his final six holes. "It's not something I do, is compound mistakes. I had a chance to bounce back there on 6 and 7 and wasn't able to do it. I've played a million rounds of golf. I've had plenty of doubles and triples in my day. I know how to bounce back. I know how to get ready on the next hole.

"Just a couple of bad swings is all it was," added the No. 2-ranked player in the world and the 2015 Masters' champion. "It wasn't anything other than that. Disappointing, though, to come obviously from the lead to being what will be five, six, seven back going into the weekend. It's not ideal for the finish."

Ishikawa was a bit worse. The 23-year-old couldn't get untracked all day, carding two birdies, three bogeys and a triple on the 18th to drop into a tie for 25th at 138.

The 36-hole cut was set at 1-over 141. After he opened with a 2-over 72, defending champion Adam Scott of Australia fired a 66 to safely make it to the weekend at 138.

Because of the threat of bad weather Saturday, threesomes will start early off both the first and 10th tees. Projected high rains caused a flash-flood watch in the Dallas-Fort Worth area over the Memorial Day weekend, likely causing further delays at Colonial.

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