PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — James Driscoll birdied the final two holes Friday at Spyglass Hill for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead over three players in the Pebble Beach Invitational.
Driscoll, playing through a stomach illness, had a 7-under 137 total in the exhibition event. He played the past two seasons on the Web.com Tour after nearly a decade on the PGA Tour.
"I don’t know what it is," said Driscoll, who has two runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour. "I was up at four in the morning and I was sick again just before today’s round. But I had a lot of good ups-and-downs any anytime you have a bogey-free round it’s a good day."
Andrew Putnam, a one-time winner on the PGA Tour, was tied for second with Champions Tour player Joe Durant and the Web.com Tour’s Jeff Gove. Durant had a 70 at Pebble Beach, and Gove shot 69 at Spyglass.
"I had a solid round and overall I played OK," said Driscoll, who had only one top-25 finish this year.
Champions Tour player Kevin Sutherland, the 2000 winner, had a 71 at Pebble Beach to join Arron Oberholer and Ryan Armour at 5 under.
Oberholser, the 2006 winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am who has no tour status, shot a 70 at Spanish Bay. Armour of the PGA Tour had a 67 at Pebble Beach.
First-round leader Kim Welch had a 75 at Spanish Bay to drop into a tie for sixth at 2 under. Juli Inkster is the only woman to win the event, accomplishing the feat in 1990.
Following the third round, the top-40 and ties in the field of 81 will advance to the final round of Sunday at Pebble Beach. The winner will earn $60,000 from the $300,000 purse.