South Korea’s Yang Yong-eun finished strong on Friday to seize the halfway lead in the US$5.6 million USPGA Tour Honda Classic.
Yang, who teed off on No. 10, had one birdie over his first nine holes.
But he added four on the front side to complete a bogey-free five-under-par 67.
Yang’s seven-under total of 133 put him one shot in front of first-round leader Robert Allenby of Australia, Will MacKenzie and Jeff Overton.
Allenby posted a 68, while MacKenzie and Overton both shot 67.
It was a further stroke back to Ben Crane, who posted a 65 for 135.
Yang owns just one career top-10 finish in 47 US tour events, a tie for ninth at last year’s Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
However, the 37-year-old, in his third year on the US circuit, has two Asian Tour victories on his resume, winning the Korea Open and HSBC Champions Tournament in 2006 — where he beat world No. 1 Tiger Woods by two strokes.
“I’ve gradually elevated myself to have better success as my game grew,” Yang said. “Obviously, to top it off with a PGA Tour victory, which has been the ultimate dream to play for me, it would be a dream come true.”
Defending champion Ernie Els left himself work to do after a second-round 70 that left him three-over for the tournament.
Last year, Els came from three strokes off the pace to edge England’s Luke Donald by a stroke.
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