The Japan Times - Ireland's Power seizes Pebble Beach lead

Power birdied eight holes in an 11-hole stretch on the iconic par-72 Pebble Beach Golf Links -- one of three courses in use for the tournament along with par-72 Spyglass Hill and the par-71 Monterey Peninsula Shore Course.

At 16-under, he was five shots clear, in relation to par, of Andrew Putnam, Canada's Adam Svensson and first-round leader Tom Hoge.

Putnam posted six birdies in a five-under 67 at Spyglass Hill, Svensson rocketed up the leaderboard with an eight-under 63 at Monterey Peninsula and Hoge carded a two-under par 69 at Monterey Peninsula to share second on 11-under.

Power, ranked 50th in the world, made the most of ideal conditions on the Monterey Peninsula.

He two-putted for birdie from 23 feet at the par-five second, but gave that shot back with a three-putt bogey at the fifth.

Power responded with a brilliant run launched by an 11-foot birdie at the sixth.

He rolled in a 20-footer at the seventh, saved par at the eighth then birdied the next four holes, a run that included a 22-foot putt at the 10th and was capped by an eight-foot birdie at the 12th.

A wedge to four feet led to birdie at the 14th, and he drained a 12-footer at 16. a wayward tee shot led to bogey at 17, but he closed with another birdie at 18, where he got up and down from 96 yards.

"My wedge play was great," said Power, who was coming off an impressive 64 at Spyglass in the first round which beat the field average on the demanding course by eight shots.

"I had like three or four shots I hit very, very close and the way I've been putting, they were not gimmie birdie, but certainly ones you would expect to make and it just changes your whole complex of your round, of your score.

"So that was the most pleasing. To finish with a close one on 18 and I could pick up another shot there."

Hoge, who played Pebble Beach on Thursday, battled his way around Monterey Peninsula, where he opened with a double bogey.

"I was a little shaky off the start, drove it a little crooked and missed some putts in there," Hoge said. "So I righted the ship pretty well from nine on in."

Hoge rebounded well from his opening lapse with birdies at the second and third, but he bogeyed the seventh and eighth before a birdie at the ninth to make the turn one-over for the day.

He was rolling with birdies at the 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th before giving a shot back at 18.

"I was a little bit flustered with a bogey at the last, but it was nice to make some birdies coming in," he said.

Svensson had a terrific day at Monterey Peninsula, where he hit all 13 fairways and all 18 greens in regulation on the way to nine birdies with one bogey.

"I was striking it well yesterday and today and just kind of kept the mojo going," he said. "Made a couple more putts today."

K.Inoue--JT