Four share lead entering second round of CareerBuilder Challenge

Anirban Lahiri of India is among four golfers sharing the lead entering the second round of the $5.8 million CareerBuilder Challenge.

Lahiri and Americans Jason Dufner, Jerry Kelly and Jeff Overton all fired eight under-par 64s Thursday. Americans Colt Knost and Jamie Lovemark are one shot off the lead, while 11 golfers, including defending champion Bill Haas, are tied at six-under-66, two shots off the lead. Phil Mickelson is four shots off the lead with a 68.

Lahiri had eight birdies in his bogey-free round Thursday, four on the front nine and four on the back nine at the La Quinta Country Club. Lahiri said he was “a bit unsure of how I was going to” play because
he was “still feeling all the travel coming from” Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he was playing for Team Asia in its 18 1/2-5 1/2 loss to Team Europe in the EurAsia Cup, which concluded Sunday.

“Really happy with the way I hit the ball” Thursday, Lahiri said. “I don’t think I missed a green all day.”

Lahiri is making his 19th start on the PGA Tour. His best finish is a tie for fifth in last year’s PGA Championship. He is 41st on the Official World Golf Ranking. Lahiri has won seven tournaments on the Asian Tour, including two that were co-sanctioned with the European Tour, and 11 on the Professional Golf Tour of India.

Lahiri was a member of the International Team in the 2015 Presidents Cup, going 0-3-0 in a 15 1/2-14 1/2 loss to the United States.The 29-year-old Lahiri was introduced to golf by his father, a physician
in the Indian Army, when he was 8 years old.

Dufner began his round on the back nine of the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, birdieing his first two holes and three of his last four, in a round of eight birdies and no bogies. The 38-year-old Dufner birdied all four of the par-5 holes.

The 49-year-old Kelly had five birdies, eagles on the sixth and 11th holes, and a bogey on the La Quinta Country Club’s par-4 14th, where he lipped out his put for par.

“I was very happy with the way that I struck the ball,” said Kelly, who is seeking his fourth PGA Tour victory and first since the 2009 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

The 32-year-old Overton played in the first foursome off the first tee at the Nicklaus Tournament Course and had five consecutive birdies from the third through seventh holes and a bogey on the par-3 eighth. Overton had three consecutive birdies on the 11th through 13th holes, with his final birdie of the round coming on the par-5 15th.

“I got off to a little shaky start and then chipped in on the third hole and from there on, it was just like birdie, birdie, birdie,” said Overton, who has finished second four times on the PGA Tour but has not won a
tournament. “Hit a bunch of really good wedge shots and that’s pretty key out here.”

The four players tied for the 18-hole lead is the most at what is now the CareerBuilder Challenge since 2008, when five were tied. Since 2000, the tournament’s only 18-hole leaders to go on to win the tournament were Pat Perez in 2009 and Patrick Reed in 2014.

Haas got off to the best start of the day holing his approach shot at the first hole at the La Quinta Country Club for an eagle-2.

Kelly and Lahiri will both play on the Nicklaus Tournament Course Friday, beginning their rounds on the 10th tee, Kelly at 9:30 a.m. and Lahiri at 10:10 a.m.

Dufner and Overton will both play on the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West, which is being used for the tournament for the first time since 1987. Dufner will begin his round at 9:40 a.m. from the first tee and Overton at 10:10 a.m. from the 10th tee.