Spieth Continues to Lead Hero World Challenge; Tiger Still Last


Even though his second round wasn't completed, Jordan Spieth maintained his lead in the Hero World Challenge. The 18-man, $3.5 million event, a benefit for the Tiger Woods Foundation, started Thursday at Isleworth in Windermere, Fla.

Friday's round was interrupted by a heavy rain storm that caused a 90-minute delay. When the players returned to the course they found softer surfaces and were able to fire at the pins. And the scores were much lower than in the first round.

Spieth, accompanied by playing partner and defending champion Zach Johnson, had two birdies and a double-bogey on the front nine, making the turn in even-par 36. On the home half, however, the 21-year-old from Dallas - who's coming off a win in last week's Australian Open - took advantage of the more amenable conditions, posting five birdies in the first seven holes.

After a par on the par-5 17th, Spieth and Johnson both teed off on the par-4 18th and hit their approaches in virtual darkness. Johnson opted to finish, carding his second straight bogey en route to a 71.

Spieth decided not to finish, choosing to wait another day to execute a tough chip from in front of the green. "If I could have done it over again I probably would have quit at the 17th hole," Spieth said at greenside. He will be one of two players to return Saturday morning and finish their second rounds.

After taking the 18-hole lead with a 66, Spieth was 5-under on his second round and 11-under for the tournament, two strokes clear of Sweden's Henrik Stenson, who's posted scores of 67 and 68.

Patrick Reed started with a 73 but improved by 10 strokes Friday, firing a 10-under 63 and establishing a new Isleworth course record. England's Justin Rose was also red-hot, carding an 8-under 64 to rise into a tie for third with Reed at 136.

On the front nine, Reed, a 24-year-old from San Antonio, was simply lights-out, recording five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh. He tacked on three more birdies; his only dropped shot of the day coming with a bogey on the par-4 12th.

Clad in Tigeresque red and black garb, Reed played alongside tournament host Woods, who is entered in his first competition in four months following a length period of rehabilitation for his surgically repaired back. Woods hasn't played since missing the cut in PGA Championship; in Wednesday's pro-am he walked 18 holes for the first time since Valhalla in August.

Woods followed up his opening 5-over 77 with a 70 and is still in last place at 3-over 147. Following a birdie on the first hole - where on Thursday he hit his opening drive out-of-bounds - he bogeyed the eighth to make the turn at even par. On the back nine, though, Woods showed flashes of his former brilliant self by posting his first eagle of 2014 at the 13th followed by birdies on the 14th and 16th.

Unfortunately, Woods then had his fifth flubbed chip shot of the tournament - he had four Thursday - after he hit his approach long and left of the 18th green, leading to a double-bogey on the last and a 2-under 70.

"I really didn't feel that much different than yesterday,'' said Woods, who had a fever and was suffering from a respiratory illness all day Friday. "I hit probably two less-worse shots than I did yesterday, but I struck the ball solid yesterday and I did again today. I think obviously I hit them a little bit closer today and made a couple putts.''

Woods said it will be a lengthy process to completely recover from his back injury. Complicating matters is that he's adjusting to a revamped golf swing with help from new coach, Chris Como. "It's a new-old," he told reporters about how he was trying to recapture the fluid moves he had when an amateur. "My body's still reacting to it.

"That's something I recognize," he added, in reference to having gone through previous major swing alterations in his career. "I understand the process . . . I know what to expect."

Tied for fifth at 137 are Bubba Watson (68), Jimmy Walker (69) and Rickie Fowler (70). Sharing eighth another shot back are Australia's Jason Day (67) and Americans Keegan Bradley (66), Chris Kirk (68) and Johnson.

Steve Stricker, like Spieth, also opted to wait until Saturday morning to finish his second round. The 47-year-old Wisconsinite was at even-par through 17 holes and tied for 12th with Matt Kuchar (70) at 5-under.

In 14th at 3-under 141 are Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (73) and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell (73), while alone in 16th is Hunter Mahan, who shot his second straight 71.

Rounding out the leaderboard are Billy Horschel (rounds of 73 and 72), with Woods at the tail end.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.