Swafford leads in the desert
Second 65 gives him a one-shot edge over Bozzelli and Lee. Mickelson in hunt.
Seeking first PGA Tour win, he shoots second 65 at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
Hudson Swafford beat the rain Friday in the CareerBuilder Challenge, and Phil Mickelson played his best in the worst of the conditions. Then, there’s Danny Lee. “I actually wanted to play in the rain, so I could experiment with myself,” Lee said. “Hopefully, it rains tomorrow.”
The New Zealander probably won’t get his wish Saturday, but another storm could pass through the La Quinta area Sunday afternoon.
Swafford finished just before the rain moved in, shooting his second straight sevenunder-par 65 to take a onestroke lead. Winless in his four-year PGA Tour career, the former Georgia star had a bogey-free round on the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West after opening the pro-am tournament Thursday at La Quinta Country Club.
“Managed to keep the ball in the fairway,” Swafford said. “That gives you a lot of nice approach shots into greens. I’m driving the ball beautifully.”
The rain-seeking Lee and first-round leader Dominic Bozzelli were tied for second.
Bozzelli followed an opening 64 on PGA West’s Stadium Course with a 67 at La Quinta.
“It wasn’t my best today, but I was able to save par, made some pretty big par saves throughout the round and kept it going,” Bozzelli said.
The tee times were moved up an hour to 7:30 a.m., and Swafford and many players finished before the storm rolled in at about 1 p.m.
“I had a full rain suit, five towels in the bag,” said Swafford, coming off a tie for 13th last week in Hawaii in the Sony Open. “My caddie was griping all day about how heavy it was. But I made a few birdies early and he said the bag was getting a little lighter.”
Mickelson got to use all of his rain gear, playing the final six holes in intermittent showers in the second-to-last group off the 10th tee on the Nicklaus course. The tournament ambassador followed an opening 68 at La Quinta with a 66 to reach 10 under.