SAN MARTIN, California: Brooks Koepka, who needed a sponsor exemption to play this week, fired a seven-under par 64 Friday to grab a one-shot lead after the second round of the US PGA Tour Frys.com Open.

Koepka finished 36 holes at 11-under-par 131 after making eight birdies and an eagle Friday at the CordeValle Golf Club course, outside of San Jose.

“It would be big,” Koepka said of a possible win. “Obviously, it would be nice to win and get status over here.”

The 23-year-old Koepka, who is seeking his first career win on the USPGA Tour, is one stroke in front of fellow American Jason Kokrak.

He has already enjoyed some success winning tournaments on the Challenge Tour in Europe but feels he is ready to take the next step and play full-time on the USPGA Tour.

“You play good and everything takes care of itself,” said Koepka, whose globetrotting ways paid off this year with thee wins on the Challenge Tour, Europe’s equivalent of the Web.com developmental tour.

Thanks to that success, he has European Tour status for the rest of 2013 and 2014. A win this week would give him US tour playing privileges.

The $5 million tournament was previously part of the USPGA Tour’s Fall series, a slate of late-season events that in recent years gave rank-and-file pros a chance to earn prize money toward keeping their tour cards as bigger names took a break in the wake of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

This year, the event marks the start of the 2013-2014 season, and like all six events that will be played before January will offer FedEx Cup playoff points and a coveted Masters berth to the winner.

Kokrak made eagle on his final hole to close out a six-under 65 and jump into second place at 10-under 132.

Robert Garrigus fired an eight-under 63 to grab a share of third place with Jim Herman (66) at nine-under.

Camilo Villegas (66) had sole possession of fifth place at eight-under, a stroke ahead of Scott Brown (67), South Korea’s Charlie Wi (68), Kevin Tway (65), Kyle Stanley (69) and Billy Hurley (66).

Former Open champion Clarke grabs share of China lead

Former British Open champion Darren Clarke rolled back the years by firing a third round four-under-par 68 to take a share of the lead at the OneAsia China Masters in Nanshan on Saturday.

The 45-year-old, who is looking for his first tournament victory since lifting the Claret Jug at Royal St. George’s in 2011, was tied with China’s Liang Wenchong, who shot a 70 in his third round for an eight-under total.

The Northern Irishman struck five birdies and one bogey on the Montgomerie Course, designed by his former Ryder Cup team mate Colin.

The duo are two clear of South Korean Kwon Sung-yeol (67), Australian Scott Strange (69) and China’s Zhang Xinjun (72) with former US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel a further shot back after matching Clarke’s 68.


Korean Kang up by 3 at windy CJ Invitational

South Korea’s Kang Sung-hoon overcame strong winds to grab a three shot lead before bad light in Yeoju curtailed his third round at the CJ Invitational hosted by his compatriot KJ Choi.

Kang was four-under for his round through 16 holes before play was called off at the $750,000 Asian Tour event. Leading on 11-under, he and two others will come back early on Sunday to finish before the start of the final round.

“The wind was blowing quite strongly but I played it safe. That gave me the chance to attack and avoid the bogeys,” the 26-year-old, who played on the US PGA Tour last year, told the Asian Tour.

Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg shot a one-under-par 71 for a three round total of eight-under 208 and the clubhouse lead with South Korean Kim Tae-hoon also at eight-under after 16 holes of his third round.