Daniel Chopra takes two shot lead - Cialis Western Open 2006

Chopra entered the second round of the $5 million event in a four-way tie for the lead and was 1-over at the turn after a bogey and eight pars. A sizzling back nine 30 included seven birdies and helped him move to 10-under 132 and open a two-shot cushion over Vijay Singh.

"It started out being a lot of hard work on the front nine," Chopra said. "I didn't play particularly poorly the first four or five holes but just got a couple of iffy bounces and a couple of bad lies.

"Then as we made the turn I told my caddie, 'We've had to work really hard this front nine, and let's see if the patience that we've displayed will produce some rewards.' And it did."

Singh carded a bogey-free 67. Starting on No. 10, he carded four birdies - two on each side - and is tied for the lead in birdies through two rounds with 11.

"I scrambled really well. I think I didn't play as good as (Thursday), but I did manage to get it up and down quite a few times," Singh said. "I got away with a good par on the last hole. That's what you have to do to play well, I guess. If you're not playing well, you've got to score well."

Joe Ogilvie was among those tied with Chopra after the first round and is tied for third at 7-under 135 after a 69. Trevor Immelman carded a 66 and Stewart Cink made a big move with a 7-under 64 to join Ogilvie.

Lucas Glover and Australia's David McKenzie also carded 66s on Thursday but were not been able to keep pace Friday with Chopra - or Ogilvie, for that matter. Glover is in a group of six at 136 after a 70 and McKenzie dropped to 3-under after a 2-over 73.

The biggest story at Cog Hill on Thursday was the solid opening round of Phil Mickelson, who was playing for the first time since his final-hole collapse at the U.S. Open.

A two-time Masters champion, Mickelson displayed a much more positive finish on Thursday, notching three birdies and an eagle at the par-5 ninth to finish with a 4-under 67.

Mickelson found it much rougher going Friday and finished with a 4-over 74. He started with a par, then fired four consecutive bogeys. "Lefty" carded his only birdies at 11 and 15 and dropped another shot at 17.

"Well, it wasn't the greatest round today. I got off to a poor start bogeying those four holes in a row," Mickelson said. "I hung in there, had some chances to make birdies, birdied two par-5s on the back. I struggled on the greens, never really had any putts go in and was unable to get it back to even."

Tiger Woods, coming off his own stumble at the U.S. Open, rebounded with a 67 to move to 3-under 139.

Woods had four birdies in five holes starting on No. 11 and rebounded from a bogey at 16 with a birdie on 17. However, that would be the final birdie of the day for Woods, who closed with 10 straight pars as he finished on the front nine.

"I'm hitting the ball better, so I'm pretty excited," Woods said. "Today I drove it great, hit my irons better - not great, but better - and I didn't really make anything on my back nine. But I made a few putts on the front nine."

Defending champion Jim Furyk shot a 67. He is tied with Glover at 6-under 136 along with Robert Damron (67), Stephen Ames (68), Scott Gutschewski (66) and Robert Garrigus (64).