Four-time defending champion Tiger Woods fired a six-under par 66 to seize a three-stroke lead over Justin Leonard after the halfway stage of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
Woods eagled the par-five second and added three birdies on the front nine, plus another on the 14th, to cap a bogey-free round at the four-man, $1million event that is open only to major championship winners.
"As far as being three shots ahead, there's still a lot of work for me tomorrow," Woods said. "I need to go out there and post another good number."
PGA Championship winner Rich Beem and Davis Love finished at par 72, six strokes off Woods' pace at the 7,064-yard Poipu Bay Golf Club course in quest of a $400,000 top prize.
"I'm staying here," Beem joked. "I may never go home."
The event is supposed to feature the year's four major champions, but South Africa's Ernie Els, the British Open winner, declined to participate and Woods won both the US Open and Masters, the first man in 30 years to achieve that.
As a result, Woods and Beem were joined by fellow Americans Love and Leonard based on a points system involving prior major winners and their finish at this year's majors.
Woods was runner-up to South Africa's Ernie Els in his first appearance at this tournament in 1997 but has won it every year since.
"I love coming back," Woods said. "I've had to have a pretty good year to come back. But each and every time I've been here, I've always enjoyed it. It's always been a lot of fun to come back and see the same people here, and you actually become friends."
Woods, 26, won five events this year and led the US PGA Tour money list with nearly $7million, rising to more than $33million in career winnings.
AFP