LOS ANGELES (AP) -Dustin Johnson made a hole-in-one and Steve Stricker had seven birdies to brighten an otherwise dreary day at rainy Riviera and finish atop the leaderboard Friday at the Northern Trust Open.
Johnson's 8-iron from 152 yards landed between the pin and the famous bunker in the middle of the green at No. 6, spinning back into the cup for an ace that put him in the lead for most of the afternoon. He had two holes left when play was halted by darkness.
Stricker, playing in a morning rain that never relented, chipped in for birdie on the 18th and nearly made an ace on No. 4 when his hybrid from 230 yards lipped out. He shot a 6-under 65 and had the clubhouse lead at 10-under 132.
Johnson, also 10 under after a bogey on the 15th, was to return Saturday morning to play the par-5 17th and the 473-yard closing hole at Riviera, which was playing so long in the cold and rain that some players barely reached the green with a 3-wood.
They were three shots clear of Andres Romero, who had three holes remaining.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead in the Dubai Desert Classic.
The 40-year-old former Thai army paratrooper had an 8-under 136 total. England's Lee Westwood (65), Wales' Stephen Dodd (69) and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) were tied for second. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, the first-round leader, was in a group two strokes behind Jaidee after a 70.
FINGAL, Australia (AP) - Jim Herman shot a 2-under 70 to take a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Moonah Classic.
The American had a 12-under 132 at Moonah Links. He opened with a course-record 62 on the Peter Thomson-designed course. Australia's Steven Jones (70) was second in the event sanctioned by the Nationwide and Australasia tours.
