Brandt Jobe moves two shots clear

American Brandt Jobe forged two shots clear in the Buick Invitational second round on Friday as champion Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson finally began to stir.

Jobe, joint leader overnight with Frenchman Thomas Levet, carded a five-under-par 67 in bright sunshine at Torrey Pines to finish at 12-under 132.

The 39-year-old journeyman, yet to win on the PGA Tour, recovered from a bogey-bogey start after teeing off at the par-four 10th on the difficult South Course.

He birdied 13, eagled the par-five 18th after hitting a 265-yard second shot to just 12 feet and picked up further strokes on one, two, six and nine.

"I drove the ball real well today and it's a good position to be in," Jobe told reporters. "But if we looked at how many guys had the 36-hole lead and won the tournament last year, it probably wouldn't be a great number.

"I actually hit the ball good today and I putted great yesterday. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.

"I've got to go out there, get comfortable and continue to do the same things I've been doing."

South African Tim Clark was tied for second at 10 under after shooting a 66 at the easier North Course, the other par-72 layout hosting the tournament.

Level with Clark was Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, who carded a six-birdie 67 at the same venue.

Most of the attention of the large galleries, however, focused on world number one Woods, who rallied with a 68 at the South Course which played five shots harder on the day.

In danger of missing the cut after opening with an erratic 71, the game's leading player got to seven under for the tournament with a stirring charge over the first 13 holes.

Chasing his fourth victory in eight years at Torrey Pines, Woods regained control off the tee and eagled the par-five 13th after powering his drive 342 yards, reaching the green in two and holing a 60-foot putt.

However, he lost momentum with bogeys on 14 and 16 and wasted a birdie chance at the last when he missed an eight-foot putt.

"I knew what I was doing yesterday and couldn't stop it," said Woods, who is playing his first tournament of the year. "First day back, I had a hard time. Today felt a lot better."

Left-hander Mickelson, like Woods chasing a fourth Buick Invitational title, vaulted up the leaderboard into a share of 12th place with a 67.

Having opened with a 71 on the testing South Course, the twice major winner reeled off seven birdies and two bogeys for a 36-hole total of six-under 138.

Of the other big names playing in the fourth event of the PGA Tour season, world number six Sergio Garcia was at seven under after returning a 68 and 2004 winner John Daly at four under after a 71.

Ryder Cup player Levet, who is focusing his schedule on the PGA Tour this season, held the outright lead for a while at nine under after picking up shots on six and eight over the South Course.

The 37-year-old Frenchman bogeyed 15, 16 and 17, however, before completing a 73 to finish level with Mickelson and eight others.

India's Arjun Atwal, who climbed into a tie for fifth at seven under with a 67 on the North Course, became the 17th player in PGA Tour history to record three eagles in one round, doing so at the 14th, 16th and 18th holes.

The halfway cut fell at one-under 143 with the tournament reverting to the South Course for the weekend.