Associated Press

The golf roundup …

SAN DIEGO — Brandt Snedeker didn’t know how golf could get any better than an opening-round 61 until he walked up the 18th fairway to a standing ovation Friday after expanding his lead and the size of his gallery at the Buick Invitational.

“I thought, ‘This is what it feels like to be Tiger Woods,”‘ he said.

The only thing sweeter would be to beat him.

Snedeker overcame some sloppy tee shots with brilliant iron play for a 2-under 70 on the menacing South Course at Torrey Pines, giving the 26-year-old rookie a three-shot lead at 13-under 131. Charles Howell III was second.

Woods also received a raucous cheer on the final hole, but only after he topped a 5-wood out of the bunker that nearly went into the water, blasted a pitch over the green into another bunker and escaped with par for a 72 that left him seven shots back.

Howell shot a a 64 on the pitch-and-putt North Course. Former PGA champion Rich Beem had a 68 on the South Course and was 9 under along with Bill Haas (66 on the North) and Charlie Wi (72 on the South).

QATAR MASTERS

DOHA, Qatar — Australia’s Richard Green shot a 7-under 65 for a share of the second-round lead with South African star Retief Goosen in the Qatar Masters.

Goosen shot a 68 to match Green at 11-under 133. Australia’s Nick O’Hern (69) was third. Ernie Els, the 2005 winner, was seven strokes back after a 71.

NATIONWIDE

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Salisbury’s Elliot Gealy shot a second-round 69 but it wasn’t enough to make the cut in the Nationwide Tour’s Movistar Panama Championship. Gealy missed the cut by two shots.