Hossler in 3-way tie at top, Woods 4 back in Maryland

POTOMAC, MD. — Beau Hossler has been hanging around the lead on the weekend in search of his first PGA Tour victory, and he gets another chance at the Quicken Loans National.

So does Tiger Woods. Hossler, the 23-year-old in his first full year on the tour, birdied four of his last five holes and finished with a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 18 for a 4-under 66, giving him a share of the lead with Ryan Armour and Brian Gay.

Armour (65) and Gay (64) each made short birdies on the par-3 ninth hole to finish their rounds and tie for lead.

Woods finished a steamy morning on the TPC Potomac at Avenel with two pars that felt just as big. On a day in which he made seven birdies — all but two of them from 15 feet or longer — Woods didn’t let a good round go to waste at the end. He saved par from the bunker on the eighth and ninths holes for a 65. That matched his low score of the year and left him four shots behind, the closest he has been going into the weekend since he was two shots back at the Valspar Championship.

“I’m not that far back,” Woods said. “The scores aren’t going to be that low and it’s going to be a tough weekend. It will be over 100 degrees and it will be a long weekend mentally and physically. I’m in a good position now.”

Hossler has at least a share of the 36-hole lead for the third time this year, and he had a close call in the Houston Open, losing in a playoff to Ian Poulter. He has shot in the 60s in 21 of his last 38 rounds.

“I’ve had a lot of really good rounds. Unfortunately, I’ve had some kind of high ones that are uncharacteristic for me,” Hossler said. “I think that was six in a row in the 60s, so I’m feeling good. I’m getting it in play nicely off the tee and I’m rolling the putter really well, so that obviously helps.”

They were at 9-under 131, one shot ahead of Francesco Molinari (65) and Billy Horschel (68). Molinari, who is playing the Quicken Loans National and John Deere Classic with hopes of boosting his FedEx Cup standing, hit all 18 greens in regulation.

Woods was among 20 players separated by four shots going into the weekend that is expected to be hot as ever along the Potomac River.

The course rated the fourth-toughest on the PGA Tour schedule last year behind only three majors, though the greens have remained mostly receptive even under a blistering sun on Friday.

U.S. SENIOR OPEN

Maybe the best way to deal with the greens at the Broadmoor is to not putt on them at all. Jerry Kelly got the message, and now he’s in the lead at the U.S. Senior Open. After coming up short from the middle of the 18th fairway Friday, Kelly took advantage of a decent lie outside a bunker, chipped onto the green and watched it go straight in. He made three more birdies on the front nine — his second nine — to complete a 1-under 69 and headed into the weekend at 5-under 135, one shot ahead of Miguel Angel Jimenez. Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz chipped in from the rough near the 12th green for a birdie as part of a sweet ending to the his fantasy-camp stay with the world’s best senior golfers. He followed his opening-day 85 with a 77.

LPGA TOUR

Lydia Ko birdied the first hole and just kept rolling from there — all the way into contention for another major victory. Ko shot a 6-under 66 on Friday in the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to move two strokes off the lead. The 21-year-old New Zealander shook off an opening 74 at Kemper Lakes to reach 4 under and give herself a shot to win her third major. First-round leader Sung Hyun Park (72), 2016 winner Brooke Henderson (71) and So Yeon Ryu (69) were tied for the lead at 6-under 138. Carlota Ciganda (69) was one stroke back, with Ko, Moriya Jutanugarn (72) and Annie Park (69) at 4 under in the third of the LPGA Tour’s five majors. Michelle Wie (74) was 1 over. Top-ranked Inbee Park (76) missed the cut at 5-over 149.

EUROPEAN TOUR

Marcus Kinhult of Sweden carded a 6-under 65 to seize a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the French Open on Friday. Kinhult, who started his campaign on Thursday with four straight bogeys, produced an eagle, six birdies and two dropped strokes in the second round to finish with a 6-under total of 136, two clear of England’s Chris Wood (68).