Barclays Classic 2006

The two-time Westchester winner shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 on Friday for a share of the second-round lead with David Howell in the Barclays Classic, the final PGA Tour event before the U.S. Open next week at nearby Winged Foot.

"This year has been horrible, really," Singh said. "I don't know if it's my game or it's my head. I've been very impatient with my golf game. I haven't been driving the ball very good and that's been the main problem."

The big Fijian has failed to finish under par in his last three tournaments -- the first time he has done that in regular PGA Tour events since 1998 -- and is winless in 21 starts since the Buick Open last July. He does have six top-nine finishes this year, including a playoff loss to Stuart Appleby in the Mercedes Championships.

"This golf course has given me a lot of things in the past," said Singh, the 1993 and 1995 champion on the hilly, tree-lined Westchester Country Club course. "Hopefully, this is the start of my comeback, you might say. I don't know what it is, but it's a good feeling to come back here and play well."

The three-time major champion made a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 ninth and birdied the short, par-4 10th to tie for the lead at 6 under. He also birdied No. 14 and took the outright lead at 8 under with a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th.

"The eagle on No. 9 really relaxed me and just gave me a really good mood to go out there and play relaxed golf on the back nine," Singh said.

Howell, playing in one of the final groups of the day, followed his opening 66 with a 68 to match Singh at 8 under.

"I like the course and I'm playing well," said Howell, the English star who tops the European tour money list and Ryder Cup standings. "The best preparation for the U.S. Open is to have your game in shape and I'm doing that this week."

Fredrik Jacobson shot a 68 to finish at 7 under, and 1991 winner Billy Andrade (70) and Joey Sindelar (68) were another stroke back.

First-round leader Adam Scott had a 72 to drop into a tie for sixth at 5 under with Luke Donald (65), Brett Quigley (66), Geoff Ogilvy (68), Frank Lickliter (67), Arron Oberholser (69), Kevin Sutherland (67) and Ben Crane (66).

Because of the wet conditions after nearly 5 inches of rain in a week, the players were allowed to lift, clean and place their balls in the fairways.

"We saw the sun," Andrade said. "I think that's the first thing that was pretty neat when we got here this morning, that it was going to be a nice day. The wind was blowing a little bit, but playing the ball up again was an advantage."

Masters champion Phil Mickelson was 2 under after his second straight 70.

"I'm trying to play a similar way to what I would play at the U.S. Open and not miss balls in spots where you can't get up and down," Mickelson said.

"I certainly feel like I played a lot better today than I did yesterday, even though the scores were the same. If I can just get a couple of putts to fall, I think tomorrow is going to be a good round."

Many of the pins were again set on high spots on the greens because of the wet conditions and the possibility of more rain.

"It's tricky," Ogilvy said. "Back pins are very awkward here with short irons because the ball spins so much and the greens slope so much back to front."

Quigley had nine birdies -- five in a row on Nos. 3-7 on his final nine -- but also had a double bogey on 18 and two bogeys, the last on the ninth.

"Starting today, I figured I needed to shot 5 under to get back in the mix," Quigley said. "Kind of a tough way to do it, but I shot 5 under."