Nissan Open: Charles Howell, who finished his round an hour before Padraig Harrington was scheduled to tee off, shot a six-under-par 65 to move level with the Irishman midway through the second round of the Nissan Open at Pacific Palisides in California yesterday.

The duo were on eight under par, a stroke clear of Pat Perez and England's David Howell.

Perez had moved level with the leaders but slipped back after a bogey on the 18th meant he carded a second-round 69.

Howell, who started on the back nine, birdied the 11th, 12th, 17th and 18th in a first nine of 32, and continued the good work with two more at the first and second in a back nine of 33.

The 31-year-old, who had the first tee time of the day, has finished second twice this year - in the Sony Open and Buick Invitational - and is trying to get his second victory on the PGA Tour.

Sergio Garcia added a second round 68 for a halfway total of seven-under-par 135 and moved into a tie for second place with David Howell, who also shot 68.

Phil Mickelson, who is trying to win for the second consecutive week, had a late tee time and was three strokes behind.

Rocco Mediate vaulted from a tie for 51st to a tie for fifth with a second-round 66 for 137.

Paul McGinley finished his first round by dropping a shot at the 18th (ninth) for a 70 and was still at one-under-par after nine holes of his second round when a birdie at the first was cancelled out by a bogey at the short sixth.

A birdie three at the 12th took McGinley to two-under-par for the tournament, but he dropped a shot at the 18th to finish on level par 71 for a total of 141.

Harrington, after starting at the 10th, birdied his second hole but dropped shots at the first and fourth to fall back into a tie for second place at seven under.