hoon of South Korea took advantage of ideal scoring conditions on the southern California coastline to take an early one-shot lead in the Farmers Insurance Open first round Thursday. With hardly a breath of wind on a glorious sun-kissed day, Kang fired a sizzling eight-under-par 64 on the North Course at Torrey Pines, one of two layouts hosting the fourth PGA Tour event of the year. Kang, making his second appearance on the US circuit, upstaged six-time winner Tiger Woods and three-time champion Phil Mickelson as he piled up six birdies, an eagle and a lone bogey. Woods, making his first start of the season, opened with a 69 on the North while left-hander Mickelson was four under with two holes remaining on the South. Kang birdied his last two holes to end the round one ahead of American Alex Prugh, who also started out on the North Course. “All the par-fives are reachable so I tried to keep to the fairways and it worked really well,” Kang told reporters. “I made two birdies and one eagle on the par-fives. I played very well today.” The 24-year-old from Jeju booked his place on the 2011 PGA Tour via qualifying school and was delighted to be competing in the same event as multiple major winners Woods and Mickelson. Long-hitting John Daly, champion here in 2004, surged into contention with seven birdies and two bogeys on the South Course. Jimenez shares lead Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez angrily broke his putter in two, picked up his wedge instead and carded three late birdies to grab a share of the second round lead at the Volvo Tournament of Champions in bahrain Friday. Jimenez shot a seven-under par 65 at the Royal Golf Club to lead at 11-under par 133 alongside Sweden's Peter Hanson, Italian Edoardo Molinari and Raphael Jacquelin of France. Ryder Cup star Hanson shot a 67 and could have become the sole leader if not for a dropped shot on his 17th hole, while Molinari made a bright start to the day, making six birdies in his first six holes despite playing in the early-morning rain and wind. Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke was in a group of four players – South African James Kingston, England's Paul Casey and Scotland's Stephen Gallacher being the others – tied for the fifth place at 10-under par 134. After missing several birdie chances from inside five feet, and an eagle attempt on the ninth hole from 20 feet, Jimenez's patience finally ran out with his putter when he botched up a three-footer for a birdie on the 13th hole. The charismatic Spaniard slammed his putter, which hit the golf bag and broke in two. He then used his lob wedge to make the putts, and even though he made a bogey on the 14th hole, the putts suddenly started to drop from the 15th onwards. He made birdies on the next three holes, a run which included a 15-footer on the 16th.
