Matt Gogel returned in triumph to the scene of his great collapse last season, shattering the Poppy Hills course record on Friday with a 10-under 62 for a three-stroke lead in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Gogel took his two-round total to 13-under 131, three strokes in front of Masters champion Vijay Singh of Fiji who carded a 68.
Gogel, who turns 30 next Friday, made a name for himself at this event last year. He shared the third-round lead with Mark Brooks and was put in the spotlight when weather forced the final round to be played Monday.
He opened that round with three straight birdies on Pebble Beach Golf Links, but shot a 40 on the back nine and was passed by Tiger Woods.
Despite the final-round collapse, it was Gogel's best finish and biggest payday, representing more than half of the 610,042 dollars he earned in 2000.
"I thought about it a lot, more than I thought," Gogel said of his final-day struggles last year. "It would make for a heck of a story if things continue this way, but I haven't been in this chair in a while so its just fun to get back in contention. ... There is a tremendous amount of golf left."
Brad Elder, Ronnie Black, Tom Scherrer and Frank Lickliter are four shots off the pace.
Woods, playing with a hyperextended left knee, was tied for 20th at five-under.
First-round leader David Berganio shot a 73 to fall into a five-way tie for ninth.
Gogel, who has gone 31 holes without a bogey, began his round on the back nine of Poppy Hills and just missed an eagle at the par-five 10th. He added a birdie at number 12 and rolled home a 12-footer at 15 to move three-under for the day. After a birdie at 18 allowed him to make the turn at 32, Gogel really heated up.
He sank birdie putts at one and two and rolled home a six-foot birdie at four to move 10-under for the tournament. Gogel actually missed consecutive mid-range birdie putts at five and six before closing his round with three straight birdies.
"I birdied two of the first three holes and I never hit any bad shots into the greens," Gogel said. "Then you hit a couple of long putts. ... Those are the kinds of things that build the round."
Singh started the day in a tie for fourth and had six birdies during his round. But bogeys at three and six left him four-under for the day and alone in second place.
Woods, the defending champion, hyperextended his left knee in a collision with an overzealous fan after a practice round Wednesday. After shooting 66 on Thursday, he carded a one-over at Poppy Hills.
The rocky round contained four birdies but five bogeys, including a six at the 511-yard par-five 10th hole. Woods trailed Gogel by eight strokes but he was down seven shots at the start of that fateful Monday last year.
Woods is seeking to become the first repeat winner here since close friend Mark O'Meara won back-to-back titles in 1989-1990.
Players will rotate three rounds between Spyglass, the Poppy Hills Golf Club and the host Pebble Beach Golf Links before the cut is made. The final round will be contested at Pebble Beach.
Each foursome consists of two professional players and a pair of amateurs, including celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment.
AFP