PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Rory McIlroy left before his round was even over. Tiger Woods had to rally just to stick around.
And with all that drama Friday in the Honda Classic, hardly anyone noticed that Luke Guthrie showed off his potential in a big way with a 7-under 63 to take a one-shot lead going into the weekend at PGA National.
Guthrie, pegged by many of his peers as a rookie worth watching going into the year, played bogey-free on another cool, cloudy day.
He was at 9-under 131 and had a one-shot lead over Michael Thompson.
McIlroy made a double bogey on his second hole and put two balls in the water on the 16th hole on his way to a triple bogey. He hit his approach to the 18th in the water and never finished the hole.
McIlroy told three reporters who followed him to his car that it was nothing physical but that he was “not in a good place mentally."
After mixing birdies with bogeys, Woods went bunker-to-bunker, over the green, short of the green and wound up with a double bogey on the 13th hole that put him one shot under the cut line with five holes to play.
Also on Friday:
Coetzee up a shot in Africa
CENTURION, South Africa — Charl Coetzee of South Africa shot a 7-under 65 to hold the clubhouse lead by a stroke when a thunderstorm halted the second round of the Tshwane Open. Coetzee was at 12 under on the Els Club course at Copperleaf Golf Estate. Mark Tullo of Chile shot a 66, while Dawie Van Der Walt of South Africa was also at 11 under after 14 holes in the co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tour event.
Lewis on top at HSBC
SINGAPORE — Stacy Lewis made six birdies to shoot a 6-under 66 and take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the HSBC Women’s Champions. The reigning LPGA Player of the Year was at 11-under 133 overall. She led a pack of six players at 9-under.
