Guthrie leads Honda Classic

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Rory McIlroy left before his round was even over. Tiger Woods had to rally just to stick around.

And with all that drama Friday in the Honda Classic, hardly anyone noticed that Luke Guthrie showed off his potential in a big way with a 7-under 63 to take a one-shot lead going into the weekend at PGA National.

Guthrie, pegged by many of his peers as a rookie worth watching going into the year, played bogey-free on another cool, cloudy day.

Of his seven birdies, perhaps the most impressive for the Big Ten champion from Illinois came on the sixth hole when he had mud on the side of his ball and was able to work the shot in from the right to about 10 feet.

He was at 9-under 131 and had a one-shot lead over Michael Thompson. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn is two shots back.

Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch, who opened with a 68, had a 72 to just make the cut at 140.

Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., finished at 141, while David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Stephen Ames of Calgary wound up at 142.

Woods looked as if he might join them. After mixing birdies with bogeys, Woods went bunker-to-bunker, over the green, short of the green and wound up with a double bogey on the 13th hole that put him one shot under the cut line with five holes to play.

Instead of the second straight week when No. 1 and No. 2 were gone early, Woods wound up with a 70 to make the cut on the number, nine shots out of the lead.