Woods (63) Takes Lead in Ohio

With no wind, there was no need for Tiger Woods to play it safe Friday in the Memorial tournament at Dublin, Ohio.

One day after he tiptoed his way across Muirfield Village, Woods attacked a vulnerable course with a nine-under 63, closing with a chip-in for par and two tap-in birdies that gave him a one-stroke lead over Harrison Frazar.

Woods had four consecutive birdies on the front nine, and then really brought the gallery to its feet with a finish that put him in great position to become the first repeat champion in the 25-year history of the tournament.

After a delicate blast from the sand barely climbed out of the bunker on the par-three 16th, he holed the chip for par, pointing his finger at the cup as the ball disappeared.

A nine-iron into No. 17 stopped a foot from the hole to set up one birdie and his six-iron into the 18th spun back some 15 feet before settling about 18 inches from the cup to set up another.

Through 36 holes, Woods was at 10-under 134.

Because of a storm system expected today, the third round will have threesomes going off on both tees about three hours early with hopes of finishing at about noon PDT. CBS Sports will televise the round on tape delay.

That puts Woods and Els together again for the first time since their sensational, season-opening show in Hawaii, where they each made eagle on the 72nd hole and Woods won on the second playoff hole with a 40-foot birdie putt.

*

Mi Hyun Kim, a 23-year-old South Korean who had a first-round 65, kept her hold on first place in the LPGA Corning Classic at Corning, N.Y., with a solid two-under 70.

*

Larry Nelson and Leonard Thompson shot six-under-par 66s to share the first-round lead in the Senior PGA Tour’s Boone Valley Classic at Augusta, Mo.