LA QUINTA, California, 29 January 2005 — Joe Ogilvie fired a nine-under par 63 to grab a three-stroke lead after the second round of the 90-hole PGA Bob Hope Classic here Thursday.

The American stood on 17-under par 127, leading after 36 holes for only the second time in his career after a round that included eight birdies and an eagle at the par-5 18th, offsetting his lone bogey of the day on the 17th.

“I played well, hit it close and made the right putts, which you have to do when you shoot 63,” Ogilvie said. “After the sixth hole I had a chance to birdie seven through 16. I think I either made birdie or hit the cup on every birdie putt.”

Ogilvie’s only other lead after 36 holes came at the 2001 Greater Hartford Open, where he finished in a share of 17th place.

Reigning Masters champion Phil Mickelson and Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson, who had six back-nine birdies in a 10-under 62 round, shared second on 130 at the $4.7 million event, which is played on four par-72 courses.

“The way the courses are here you have to make as many birdies as you can and try to take it day by day,” Jacobson said. “I just played really solid golf. I played good yesterday but I didn’t quite make as many putts as today.”

Defending Bob Hope champion Mickelson fired a bogey-free 64. Over his past 22 rounds here, Mickelson is 98 under par.

“I had a great time and it was a good round,” Mickelson said. “I hit a lot of good shots with long irons to make my birdies rather than wedges.”

Australian Peter Lonard joined Americans Fred Couples, Robert Damron, Jason Allred and Billy Mayfair in fourth on 131.

Ogilvie was among five players who shared the first-round lead. None of the eight previous first-round leaders has managed to win the event after 72 more holes. The last to turn the trick was American Kenny Perry in 1995.

Ogilvie has three eagles in two days. No rival has more than one.

“You just approach it that you have got to make a ton of birdies here,” Ogilvie said. “I came here thinking that I’ve got to make 40 birdies to have a chance to win, which is totally crazy over five rounds.

“I’ve gotten 19 so far if you count the three eagles as two birdies.”

Mickelson birdied all four par-5 holes and had five birdies on the first seven holes of the back nine. His victory here last year snapped an 18-month win drought and began a roll that led to his first major title at Augusta.

Mickelson, who followed a 30-under 330 last year with a first-hole playoff victory over compatriot Skip Kendall, also won here in 2002. Another left-hander, Canada’s Mike Weir, won here in 2003, making this the only US PGA event won three years in a row by southpaws.

Dougherty Leaves Monty Trailing in Singapore

England’s Nick Dougherty upstaged more fancied rivals Colin Montgomerie and Thomas Bjorn to seize a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Singapore Masters yesterday.

Dougherty carded a five-under-par 67 to finish on nine under in the co-sanctioned Asian and European Tour event being played on the Laguna National course.

The 22-year-old from Liverpool was disappointed to three putt the final hole for a bogey that robbed him the chance of completing the inward half in seven-under-par 29.

“I was gutted to bogey the last as it would have been great to shoot 29 on the back nine as I don’t think I have ever done that on Tour before,” said Dougherty.

“I am playing well and I feel good in myself, rejuvenated is a good way to describe it. Golf is really fun to play again and it wasn’t last year.”

Dougherty has worked tirelessly the past few years with coach David Leadbetter and said he produced one of the best three-wood shots of his career at his 16th hole, par-five seventh on the Laguna National.

“I had 265 yards to the front of the green and 288 yards to the hole and I hit the best ever three wood I’ve hit to 288-1/2 yards,” he said.

“I couldn’t hit a three more than 265 yards last year and it was shot that Vijay (Singh) and Tiger (Woods) would have been proud of.”

Dougherty, who shared fourth place in last week’s South Africa Open, is chasing a first European Tour success at the start of his third full season on tour.

Defending champion Montgomerie missed a short putt for birdie on his final hole to end the day with a one-over-par 71 to slip one shot behind the lead. The Scot, contesting his first event of the new season, was leading by three strokes at the start of the day.

“I didn’t hit my irons close enough, that was all, and I three-putted twice and I didn’t have the pace of the greens at all today and that was a problem,” he said. Bjorn, who is tied in third place on six under par with Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Malaysia’s Danny Chia and China’s Wen-Chong Liang, hit six birdies in an outward nine of 30 but he stalled over the inward half.

“The front nine was exceptional but it was not so good on the back nine and that kind of tells the whole story,” said the 32-year-old Dane.