Jobe Goes South and Leads

They could have been stamping passports here Friday during the second round of the Buick Invitational, where Brandt Jobe, who refined his skills playing in Japan, shot a five-under-par 67 to take a two-shot lead over Tim Clark of South Africa and Jesper Parnevik of Sweden.

Meanwhile, the often otherworldly Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson splashed Torrey Pines with their typical bravado and climbed into the picture, which was once again dominated by the full-figured and fully dangerous South course.

By the time the U.S. Open is played at the 7,607-yard layout in 2008, maybe everyone will have figured out how to play the place, because there haven’t been many clues so far this week.

Playing the numbers game is a losing cause. The average score for the South course was 5.13 shots higher than for the North course in the second round, and that one is more difficult than the other isn’t exactly news.

“When you get in trouble, you get out and minimize your errors,” said Jobe, whose South-course troubles seemed minuscule after he eagled the 18th hole, the ninth hole he played, and then finished with a birdie at the 613-yard ninth, his closing hole.

Jobe’s 12-under total of 132 after rounds of 65-67 is three shots off the 36-hole tournament record, set by Lennie Clements in 1996 and matched last year by Tom Lehman.

Clark birdied the last two holes of the North course for a 66, and he’s tied with Parnevik, who shot his second consecutive 67, this time on the North.

Parnevik tied for second last week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and continued to simmer with a six-birdie and one-bogey day.

“I’m happy,” he said. “You can mess up on this course if you’re not careful. I mean, at the start of the week, if someone said you’ll be 10 under after two days, I would have taken it, put it that way.”

Mickelson is six under and tied for 12th as a result of his 67 on the North. Woods posted a 68 on the South and moved from a tie for 57th to a tie for 22nd. Mickelson and Woods are each trying to become the tournament’s first four-time champion.

Woods could have been a little closer to that goal, but two bogeys in his last five holes spoiled what would have been an exemplary round. Still, he did not quibble with what had transpired.

“I’m right there in the tournament,” he said. “On this golf course, the way it’s playing, it’s not playing easy. It’s hard to take it deep on the South course.”

Woods changed the shaft on his driver and said it made a difference. But it was on the greens where he turned his tournament around, even if it was from long distance.

At the third hole, he sank a 40-foot putt for a birdie. At the 541-yard par-five 13th, he reached the green in two shots and rolled in a putt from 60 feet for an eagle. He then had an eight-footer for a birdie at the 18th and missed it, but he was smiling afterward.

“I’m very pleased I played better today, and hopefully this weekend I can play a little bit better,” he said.

Jobe got off to a rocky start with bogeys on his second and third holes, but he righted himself and seemed to follow a plan on how to play the South.

“With the South course, you kind of plod along, try and hit fairways,” he said. “You’ve got to hit drivers off the tee. Really, my focus there was trying to drive the ball.”

Jobe hit nine fairways Friday, compared with four Thursday, but his score was two shots better the first day, when he played the North.

The final 36 holes will be played on the South, which has emerged as an anxiety producer of great magnitude.

The South course scoring average of 74.286 was the highest for a round since it was lengthened before the tournament in 2002. Of the top 41 rounds Friday, 37 were shot at the North course, the only exceptions being Jobe, Sergio Garcia, Woods and Steve Lowery.

All nine of Friday’s bogey-free rounds were shot on the North course, where Ryan Palmer had a 10-under 62. He had a 76 in the first round on the South course.

Garcia, who came through with a 68, is trying to win for the fourth time in the last three years. He moved into a tie for fifth with six others, including Arjun Atwal, as he tied a PGA Tour record with three eagles.

Garcia is from Spain and Atwal from India, extending the international flavor for at least one more day.