Three top leaderboard into the weekend

Billy Andrade hit four birdies in a row at the end of the second round to join defending champion Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh in a three-way tie for the lead at the $4.5 million Buick Open on Friday.

Andrade fired a seven-under-par 65 for an 11-under total of 133, the same mark as Furyk (67) and overnight leader Singh (70) at the Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.

Paraquay's Carlos Franco (67), John Daly (64), Stewart Cink (65) and Olin Browne (70) were one stroke adrift on 134. World number one Tiger Woods returned a 68 to join Craig Barlow, Pat Bates and Bob Tway on 135.

Andrade reeled off eight birdies in all. The 40-year-old American is in good form having been joint fourth at last week's Greater Milwaukee Open, his only top-10 finish of the season.

He pointed to a second-round 64 last week as the turning point.

"I kind of kept the momentum going from last week and just took that into here, at a place where I enjoy playing," Andrade told reporters.

"I've had chances to win here a couple of times early in my career and didn't get it done on greens that I enjoy putting on. They are just perfect, and the conditions are ripe for (low) scoring."

Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, is making his fourth start since undergoing wrist surgery earlier this year. His 67 contained five birdies.

"I actually had a pretty good run at the Western (Open)," Furyk said referring to his joint seventh-place finish at Lemont, Illinois earlier this month. "I probably just wasn't as confident and comfortable with my game at that point. It's nice to be back playing well and on a course I like so much."

Singh's second round was in stark contrast to his opening, eight-birdie 63. The world number three from Fiji had only two birdies on Friday.

With a large group of players bunched together towards the top of the leaderboard, Singh is expecting a competitive weekend.

"It's going to be a shootout," he said. "Depends on if the wind comes up with the rain.

"The greens are rolling nicely. The pin placements were pretty tight today, some of them were way back where you have to pitch it past the flag to get close to the hole.

"If you're not careful, you'll hit it over the green and make bogey. We'll see what happens."

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