Spieth with another big finish leads by 5 at Kapalua

It gave the Texan a 9-under 64 for a four-shot lead in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on Friday.

It’s been a great start for favourite backers over in Hawaii too, where Jordan Spieth looks very well poised at just a stroke behind defending champ, Patrick Reed.

Reed played with Spieth each of the first two days and will be paired with Gomez today.

“But that’s just the level of golf that’s been played”.

The American hit a laser-like second shot from 250 yards at the 18th, his ball bouncing from short of the green to narrowly miss the flagstick and end up 10 feet past the hole from where he coolly drained the eagle putt.

World No. 47 Lee, in a share of third after an opening-round 67, began his second round with back-to-back bogeys before steadying with a birdie at the third and an eagle on the par-5 fifth.

Spieth was at 24-under 195, one shot shy of the 54-hole record at Kapalua that Ernie Els set in 2003 on his way to an eight-shot victory.

The 2015-16 US PGA Tour season has been underway since October, but the first event of the calendar year is a highlight featuring only last season’s tournament winners, with 32 taking part.

World number two Jason Day, who returned to the course after a three month break, was tied for 20th after shooting his best score of the week a four-under 69.

From just short of the 14th green, he chipped into the grain to 2 feet for birdie. “I seemed to really like courses that have Bermuda (greens), that’s what I grew up on and these greens are very similar to what I grew up putting on in Dallas, so I feel real comfortable around the greens, and for people who may not have grew up with Bermuda, it’s an adjustment”.

Tied at 12 under were Kevin Kisner, Fabian Gomez of Argentina and first-round leader Patrick Reed.

Day said the time off was nice but he is ready to compete again and needs to play more rounds before he can get his confidence back.

“I go from leading by one to leading by four and that’s huge”, Spieth said. “If I can continue to limit those or keep a blemish-free card, we’re going to be in a good position because there’s enough easy holes to take advantage of”.