Portugal Colonial - Venezuelan Vegas makes turn with two-stroke lead at PGA

World number 70 Vegas, who fired a seven-under par 64 on Thursday for his lowest major round, answered a bogey at the second hole with a birdie at the par-five seventh and began the back nine on seven-under.

That was good enough stay two ahead of France's Matthieu Pavon, who made five birdies in the first 12 holes to reach five-under, and Americans Ryan Gerard and J.J. Spaun.

Vegas, chasing his first major title, needed a 12-foot putt to save par at the first, but missed a seven-footer at the second to make bogey. He responded with a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-five seventh to restore his two-stroke edge.

Pavon, fifth in last year's US Open for his best major finish, sank a 34-foot birdie putt at the second, a eight-footer to birdie the par-three fourth, a tap-in birdie at the par-five seventh and another from inside three feet the eighth.

When he rolled in a 17-foot birdie putt at the 12th, Pavon reached five-under to share second.

Gerard, who fired a 66 on Thursday, was set to start in the penultimate 10th-tee group.

Spaun birdied three holes in a row starting at the third and answered a bogey at the sixth with birdies at the par-five seven and 10th holes. His 10-foot birdie putt at the 14th lifted him into a share of second.

In a pack on four-under were Americans Max Homa, Alex Smalley and Michael Thorbjornsen, England's Aaron Rai and Luke Donald, New Zealand's Ryan Fox and Germany's Stephan Jaeger.

Homa, a 10th-tee starter, was having the best round of day two, going six-under through nine holes, shooting 30 -- his lowest nine-hole stretch in a major -- on the same side he shot 39 on day one.

Homa opened with a tap-in birdie at 10, sank a 22-foot birdie putt at the par-three 13th, eagled the par-four 14th after dropping his tee shot inches from the hole, sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-five 15th and chipped in from 49 feet to birdie the 18th.

Homa's sizzling form continued with a 33-foot birdie putt at the third but he missed the green at the par-three fourth and stumbled to a bogey.

Rai endured a front nine roller coaster with three bogeys and four birdies, the last of them from seven feet at the ninth, before missing an 11-foot par putt at the 12th to fall back.

Thorbjornsen sank a 13-foot birdie putt at the second and a five-foot birdie putt at the par-five seventh but closed the front nine with a bogey.

The rest were set for afternoon tee times.

The feature group of the world's three top-ranked players -- also set for an afternoon start Friday -- struggled in round one, with world number one Scottie Scheffler on 69, defending champion, third-ranked Xander Schauffele on 72 and Masters winner Rory McIlroy on 74.

B.Godinho--PC