Snedeker joined at top by Choi

Tag Ridings is two shots back after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) played the South, and longer, course at Torrey Pines.
Tag Ridings is two shots back after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) played the South, and longer, course at Torrey Pines.

— Brandt Snedeker ended another round at Torrey Pines atop the leaderboard. Only this time he had company, and still a long way to go.

Snedeker had a bogey-free start to his title defense in the Farmers Insurance Open on the North Course for a 7-under-par 65 and a share of the lead with K.J. Choi on Thursday. Choi birdied three of his last four holes on the tough South Course for his 65.

Tiger Woods, a seven-time champion at Torrey Pines as a pro, looked as if he might join them. Woods was one shot off the lead with five holes to play on the South until he stumbled in the final hour of a cloudy day with two bogeys and had to scramble to save par on the par-5 18th for a 68.

“I made a few mistakes out there, but I made some nice plays as well,” Woods said.

He three-putted for double bogey on the fourth hole, and then responded with a 12-footer for birdie, an eagle by holing a bunker shot on the par-5 sixth, and birdie putts on the eighth and ninth holes to get back into the game.

Phil Mickelson had quite the taxing day with a 72 on the North, which played about 1 1/2 strokes easier than the course that hosted a U.S. Open in 2008.

Snedeker already is developing quite the love affair with this municipal course along the Pacific Bluffs. As a rookie, he was 10 under through 10 holes and had to settle for a 61 on the North Course. He finished third that year. Then, he rallied from seven shots behind in the final round, got into a playoff when Kyle Stanley made triple bogey on the 18th and won on the second playoff hole.

One year later, he was right back at it.

“It’s funny, you look at all the golf courses I should play well on, this should not be one of them,” Snedeker said. “This is a long, difficult golf course with lots of rough and hitting a lot of iron shots. My strength is driving and putting, so it doesn’t really add up well around year. But for some reason, it’s been good to me.”

It was even more of a mystery for Choi.

He is not a regular at Torrey Pines and decided not to come last year until he heard from his host family in San Diego that the South Korean community wanted to see him play. Choi put on quite a show. He finally got some height and spin into shots while warming up on the range, and he converted that into the best round on the South.

He ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine - he started on No. 10 - and no shot was more pleasing than a wedge into a light crosswind on the 15th hole that settled inches from the cup.

“Best shot ever on the South Course - ever,” he said, grinning.

Of the eight players at 66, only Josh Teater posted his on the South Course. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 67 on the South with an eagle, six birdies and three bogeys. Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 68 on the North with six birdies and two bogeys. Scott Gardiner (Farmington) finished with a 70 on the North with four birdies and two bogeys. David Lingmerth (Razorbacks) played the South to even par, with four birdies and four bogeys in his 72. John Daly (Dardanelle, Razorbacks) had two birdies and four bogeys in his 74 on the South.

Of the PGA Tour events that use multiple courses, few of them are as different as the South and North at Torrey Pines, although the difference in scoring average has been greater in recent years.

Charles Howell III summed it up best after his 66 on the North.

“The real one is tomorrow,” Howell said.

EUROPEAN TOUR Four tied for lead

DOHA, Qatar - Ryder Cup stars Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia were among four players tied for the lead at the Qatar Masters after the second round Thursday.

The leaderboard was crowded, with 15 players within three shots of the leaders, thanks to mainly calm conditions at Doha Golf Course.

Kaymer (67), Garcia (66) overnight leader Ricardo Santos (70) of Portugal and Marcus Fraser (67) of Australia were at 9-under-par 135. They had a one-shot lead on five players, including former U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell (68).

Leaderboard

FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN San Diego Purse: $6.1 million Torrey Pines (South Course): Par 72, 7,698 yards Torrey Pines (North Course): Par 72, 7,053 yards First of four rounds Brandt Snedeker ................ 33-32-65n K.J. Choi ..............................33-32-65s Josh Teater ..........................35-31-66s Adam Hadwin ..................... 34-32-66n Luke List ............................. 33-33-66n Ross Fisher ........................ 32-34-66n Billy Horschel ..................... 33-33-66n Charles Howell III ............... 33-33-66n Mike Weir ........................... 33-33-66n Scott Stallings .................... 33-33-66n Arkansans Tag Ridings .........................35-32-67s Bryce Molder ...................... 32-36-68n Scott Gardiner .................... 34-36-70n David Lingmerth .................35-37-72s John Daly ............................37-37-74s More scores, Page 7C

Sports, Pages 19 on 01/25/2013

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