Snedeker still unknown factor

At Honolulu, the winner was Paul Goydos, Charley Hoffman won the Bob Hope and midway through the Buick Invitational, Brandt Snedeker has a three-shot lead. Forget “These Guys are Good.” It’s more like, “Who Are These Guys?”

Snedeker’s two-under-par 70 Friday on the surprisingly uneven greens of the difficult South Course put the 26-year-old rookie in the driver’s seat at Torrey Pines, with Charles Howell III his closest pursuer after an eight-under 64 on the user-friendly North Course.

Snedeker is not well known, but he is beginning to change that, his previous claims to fame being that he earned his PGA Tour card by finishing ninth on the Nationwide Tour money list in 2006 and that he tripped over a tree root and broke his collarbone when he was running to his car last year.

At this point, the breaks are going Snedeker’s way. Even Tiger Woods, who is tied for 12th, seven shots behind after a 72 on the South Course, couldn’t help but point out the obvious.

“Hey, he’s playing well, obviously consistent,” Woods said, “so we’ll see what happens on the weekend.”

It’s also obvious that this one is a long way from being over. Woods is one of 24 players within seven shots of Snedeker with 36 holes to go. Howell trails by three shots, and Bill Haas, Rich Beem and Charlie Wi are all four behind.

This is serious business, because it’s a $5.2-million tournament, but the tour has been anything but business as usual in the early going this year. At 42, Goydos isn’t exactly unknown, but his victory at Honolulu was his first in 11 years. Hoffman won $1.1 million last year, but he’s best known for his blond, flowing locks.

Woods is known for much more. The four-time winner and defending champion wasn’t upset with his par round on the South Course, where the U.S. Open will be played next year. But he wasn’t altogether pleased with the uneven nature of the greens, which he said is caused by the growth of Poa annua grass along with the bentgrass.

“You just hope the ball goes in,” he said. “The ball is wiggling all over the place. Putts from 10 feet in, they’re iffy.”

Woods could have been a step closer, but he had to scramble for par on the par-five 18th.

Actually, there was a great deal of scrambling Friday, when the North Course was once again the place to be. Almost 700 yards shorter than the 7,469-yard South Course, 12 players didn’t have a bogey on the North, including Phil Mickelson. No one played a bogey-free round on the South, where the final two rounds will be played.

The North Course produced 32 of the low 34 scores Friday; Beem was one of the two exceptions with his 68. As for Mickelson, his six-under 66 on the North propelled him from a tie for 124th to a tie for 37th. Afterward, he said he’s playing the same putter he used to win the Masters last year.

“Obviously, playing the North was a lot easier than the South,” he said.

Nothing seemed to upset Snedeker’s rhythm on the South, where he was once again cheered on by a large gallery that followed him, enlivened by the 61 he shot in the first round. He said he was so nervous, he hit a poor drive on the first hole.

“Blew one off the planet,” he said.

But after he rolled in a 40-foot putt to birdie the third hole, he felt steady, maybe even enough to persuade his father, Larry, to follow on television. Snedeker said his dad usually turns his back to the screen when watching Snedeker’s putts.

“I don’t know if I’m just that scary to watch, if I’m that close to making a disaster on every hole, or what it is,” he said. “I don’t ever think he’s seen me hit a putt in competition.... He’s superstitious.”

Snedeker hit only four fairways Friday and said he could have shot an 80 instead of a 70. He was amazed by the size of his gallery.

“I certainly wouldn’t come out and watch me today because it was ugly,” he said. “I would rather go watch Tiger.

“For somebody like me, they don’t have a clue who I am. It is the best experience of my golfing life so far.”

Howell’s experience here in 2005 wasn’t so great. On the 72nd hole, his approach hit the base of the flagstick, part of the cup, close to an eagle, but bounced back off the green and into the water. He wound up with a bogey and a tie for second. Howell said he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

By Sunday, Snedeker may be in the same predicament, but just being in contention may have him running to his car, only more carefully this time.

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thomas.bonk@latimes.com