• Bob Hope Classic, Round Two

Rookie Vegas ups the stakes at Bob Hope Classic

Brian Davis is the sole Brit in the field © Getty Images

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Leaderboard

Tour rookie Jhonattan Vegas showed no signs of nerves as he stormed up the leaderboard at the Bob Hope Classic.

Playing in only his fifth tour event, the 26-year-old, who is the first Venezuelan to earn a PGA Tour card, got off to a flying start to move to the top of the leaderboard, and showed impressive strength of character to pick up four shots over six holes to move to 14-under.

However, a bogey on the final hole saw him slip back to 13-under, where he was joined by Boo Weekley, whose birdie on the final hole saw him assume joint lead at the top of the leaderboard. A single bogey on the 15th was the only blemish on an otherwise impressive scorecard, as the two-time PGA Tour winner signed for a 66.

The pair are a stroke clear of Charles Howell III, whose round gathered pace on the sixth hole, when he struck the first of four consecutive birdies, and after a relatively low-key start to the back nine, finished with a flourish with three straight birdies to card a 66, his second of the tournament.

Howell is joined on 12-under by Chris Couch, while Brian Davis, the sole Englishman in the field, finished strongly to move up 11-under.

Overnight leader Derek Lamely failed to build on his stunning opening-round 63 after finding himself in trouble on the second hole of the Nicklaus Private Course, eventually carding a quintuple-bogey nine.

Lamely mixed bogeys with birdies in equal measure to reach the turn at five-over-par, but managed to get back on track with four birdies on the back nine to eventually card a 73, five shots off the lead.

Ricky Barnes is one of a host of players on nine-under after a solid second-round 70, while Martin Laird, flying the flag for Scotland, did not drop a single shot on Thursday, but four birdies was not enough to mount a charge on the leaders to move to eight-under-par after matching his opening-round score of 68.

Bill Haas' hopes of defending his title appeared to fade after his second-round 68 - to move to seven-under-par, while Bubba Watson slipped down the field after he could only manage a one-under 71 on the La Quinta course.

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