Swafford takes lead

Hudson Swafford beat the rain Friday at the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta (Riverside County), and Phil Mickelson played his best in the worst of the conditions.

Finishing just before the rain moved in, Swafford shot his second straight 7-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead. Winless in his four-year PGA Tour career, the former Georgia golfer had a bogey-free round on the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West after opening the 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.”

Danny Lee and first-round leader Dominic Bozzelli were tied for second. Lee closed with a birdie for a 64 at La Quinta. Bozzelli followed an opening 64 on PGA West’s Stadium Course with a 67 at La Quinta.

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. He followed an opening 68 at La Quinta with a 66 to reach 10 under in his return from two sports hernia surgeries.

“I hit a lot more good shots today than I did yesterday, but I’m still hitting some really bad ones,” said Mickelson, the 2002 and 2004 winner. “And that’s fine. It’s to be expected. I knew that was going to happen, but I’ve been able to kind of manage those and get away with some pars.” PGA Champions: Bernhard Langer shot a 7-under 65 on the heels of a first-round 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Fred Couples at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in KailuaKona, Hawaii. European Tour: Martin Kaymer shot a second straight 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Rafa Cabrera Bello after the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.