Stanley alone in front at Farmers Insurance Open

January 28, 2012 by askthebookie

Stanley, a first-round co-leader, finished 36 holes at 14-under 130 and missed the tournament record by a stroke. He leads by one shot over Brandt Snedeker, who fired an eight-under 64 on Friday.

Stanley played on the South Course at Torrey Pines, while Snedeker played the much easier North Course. Golfers played both courses over the first two days, but the South Course will host the weekend rounds.

Sang-Moon Bae and Martin Flores both shot rounds of five-under 67 on Friday at the South Course and share third at 12-under 132.

Reigning FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas carded a one-under 71 at the South Course and is tied for fifth with Hunter Mahan, who fired a seven-under 65 at the North Course. The pair is knotted at minus-10.

First-round co-leader Spencer Levin struggled to a four-over 76 at the South Course and fell into a tie for 20th at six-under par.

Phil Mickelson, a three-time champion who opened with a five-over 77 on Thursday, missed the cut despite shooting a four-under 68 on Friday. Mickelson finished at one-over par, which was three shots off the cut line.

"The good news is in my practice sessions, it's been great in every area, except that I'm not carrying it to the course and scoring and playing smart and putting the ball in the right spot and what have you," said Mickelson, who tied for 49th last week at the Humana Challenge. "So that's probably the area that I'll be working on here this weekend now that I have it off."

Stanley has a big weekend in front of him, looking for his first PGA Tour victory.

He started on the back nine Friday and knocked his approach to 12 feet at the 10th. Stanley poured in the birdie putt, then tapped in a short birdie effort at the par-five 13th.

The birdie at 13 tied Stanley for the lead, but trouble loomed. His seven-iron approach at 14 sailed over the green and he had to take a penalty stroke. Stanley hit his fourth to seven feet, but missed the putt and took a double- bogey.

"Probably should have hit an eight, might have been a mental error," admitted Stanley. "But, you know I got off to a good start and it was tough to take. But you've just got to be patient out here."

Stanley's tee ball at the par-three 16th landed in a greenside bunker and he couldn't get up and down for par. He fell to nine-under par, but got a stroke back with a three-foot birdie putt at the par-five finishing hole.

Stanley kept up the good play with a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 1. He reclaimed a piece of first with a five-foot birdie at the fifth, but Snedeker moved ahead when he birdied his last.

Stanley reached the par-five sixth green in two and two-putted for birdie. He was once again tied for the lead at 13-under par.

At the par-five ninth, Stanley missed short and right with his second. He pitched to four feet and converted the birdie putt to grab first to himself.

"It felt great -- got off to another good start today," said Stanley. "I think I really had one, a couple hiccups on my first nine. But other than that, I recovered nicely, and you know long ways to go, but I'm happy with where I am."

Stanley's closest brush with victory came last year at the John Deere Classic. He held the lead, but bogeyed 18, then lost when Steve Stricker birdied the last two holes, including a long putt from off the green at the last.

"I think if anything I took some positives from it," said Stanley. "It was nice to really get in contention with a few holes left. That's kind of the goal for this year is to just keep working hard and keep trying to get myself back there."

Robert Allenby (67), Justin Leonard (70), John Rollins (65) and John Huh (71) share seventh at nine-under 135.

NOTES: Lennie Clements and Tom Lehman own the 36-hole record at this tournament, although neither won the year they posted 129s...Defending champion Bubba Watson had a one-under 71 and is part of a group tied for 41st at four-under par...Also missing the cut were J.B. Holmes, who made his first start since brain surgery last year; Anthony Kim, former PGA Champion Y.E. Yang and Rocco Mediate, who lost the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in a playoff to Tiger Woods.