Woods leads by 2 at Torrey Pines

La Jolla, CA – Tiger Woods fired a 7-under 65 on Friday to jump two strokes clear of the field after two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open.

Woods finished 36 holes at 11-under-par 133. He has won seven times at Torrey Pines. Woods has won this title on six occasions and also beat Rocco Mediate at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey.

On Friday, Woods played the easier North Course. The field will play the more difficult South Course for the final two rounds.

"I played well today. I drove the ball well and took advantage of the par-5s," Woods said. "On the North course, you can reach the par-5s with irons and you have a couple wedges into par-4s."

Billy Horschel birdied three of his last five holes en route to a 3-under 69. He is alone in second place at minus-9.

Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton matched Woods' 65 and that helped him jump into third place at 8-under-par 136. Compton stands alongside Brad Fritsch (67), Steve Marino (68), Jimmy Walker (69), Casey Wittenberg (67) and Josh Teater (70).

Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner of this tournament, managed a 1-under 71 and made the cut on the number at minus-1. The left-hander birdied the third and sixth, but had two bogeys in between.

Mickelson ran off three birdies in a 4-hole span from the eighth to get to minus-3. He faltered to back-to-back bogeys at 17 and 18, but survived the cut.

"My games is just a little bit off. I'm throwing some shots away, missing some short putts and yet, I don't feel bad on the greens," Mickelson said in TV interview. "I just don't feel comfortable setting up."

Woods started the day on the back nine and he parred his first four holes. At the par-5 14th, he chipped his third within inches of the hole and tapped in for birdie.

After a pair of pars, Woods moved to 6-under with a birdie on No. 17. He followed with an eagle at the par-5 18th, and that gave him a piece of the lead.

As Woods played the first, Charles Howell III dropped out of the lead, but K.J. Choi joined him atop the leaderboard. Those moves were moot when Woods 2- putted the first for birdie to move to 9-under.

Woods' chip at the second rattled off the stick and stopped three feet away. He rolled that birdie effort in and that made him 5-under par over the last four holes.

Woods parred his next four holes. His approach at the seventh again banged off the stick. He converted a 5-footer for birdie there, but his drive on the eighth stopped under the lip of a fairway bunker.

That led to a bogey. Woods came right back with a 2-putt birdie at the ninth, his last, to finish at 11-under.

"The greens were not very got out there at all. You don't take a run at a putt because a 2-footer is missable. It's tough," Woods said in a televised interview.

Charlie Wi fired a 66 on the North Course to end two rounds at minus-7. He was joined there by John Senden (68), Tag Ridings (70), 2009 winner Nick Watney (68), Justin Hicks (70), Ross Fisher (71) and Luke Guthrie (69).

First-round co-leaders Choi and defending champion Brandt Snedeker both struggled on Friday. Choi tripped to a 1-over 73, which dropped him into a tie for 16th at 6-under 138. Snedeker faltered to a 3-over 75 and fell to 4-under 140, where he shares 31st with 10 others.

NOTES: Woods has the 36-hole lead at this event for just the second time, and he has won only two of the last six times he was in this position ... Eighty- seven players made the cut at 1-under-par 143 and that means there will be a secondary cut on Saturday to the closest number to 70 ... Among those failing to make the weekend were Ricky Barnes, Jordan Spieth, Stewart Cink, 2004 champ John Daly and Keegan Bradley ... Troy Kelly and Blake Adams withdrew before round two started, while Robert Allenby and Jason Kokrak both withdrew during the round.