Akron (Ohio): Padraig Harrington played patiently on a course that is becoming increasingly difficult to negotiate to take a one-shot lead in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational second round on Friday.
Bidding for his first victory of the year on any of the leading tours, the Irishman followed his opening 64 with a one-under-par 69 on a tree-lined layout running fast and firm.
Two ahead overnight, Harrington mixed two birdies with a sole bogey to post a seven-under total of 133 in the final World Golf Championships (WGC) event of the season.
South African Tim Clark was alone in second after carding a 68 at Firestone Country Club with US Ryder Cup player Scott Verplank (69) a further stroke back at five-under.
World number one Tiger Woods, seeking his fifth PGA Tour victory of the year and a record seventh title at Firestone, was five strokes off the pace after returning a 70.
Harrington, competing in his first tournament since the British Open three weeks ago, was delighted to maintain control after covering the back nine in one-under 34.
"I'm obviously happy," the 37-year-old Dubliner said.
"Anything under 70 from here on in is going forward so I'm quite pleased to have shot 69.
"You'd like to make some birdies but you're always aware that you don't want to drop shots," Harrington said of his more cautious approach for the second round.
"There were times when I was a little bit conservative and it was good in one sense; I only short-sided myself once today."
His only blemish came at the par-four eighth where he struck a tree with his drive and then pulled his approach well left, leaving himself very little green to salvage par.
His third shot ran 45 feet past the pin from where he two-putted for bogey.
Woods, fresh from registering his 69th PGA Tour victory at the Buick Open on Sunday, remained at two-under after a round featuring two birdies and two bogeys.
"You just have to be very patient," the 33-year-old American said. "This golf course is playing like it normally does, and it's very similar to a major championship.”
"You can shoot some good numbers, but a good number this week is going to be somewhere in the high 60s and more than likely you can then move up the board."
World number two Phil Mickelson, back on tour after a six-week break while supporting his wife and mother during their breast cancer treatment, was at one-under after a 69.
"I fought for pars a lot of the day and I didn't have a lot of great birdie opportunities," the American left-hander said.
"The greens were a little bit firmer and the fairways were firmer but I thought there were some low scores out there."
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, August 08, 2009, 09:18