Berger extends lead

Daniel Berger followed his opening-round of 63 with a 4-under 68 to extend his lead to five-stroke at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

His 13-under 131 total sees him leading Akshay Bhatia, who fired the day’s low round 66.

Berger has suffered a run of injuries, including a back issue which sidelined him for 18 months and fractured a finger at the BMW Championship in August last year.

The four-time PGA Tour winner, hit nine birdies in a flawless display. The 32-year-old American hit three straight birdies starting on the 10th, before adding another with an 11-foot putt at the par-three 14th, and two more birdies on the 16th and 18th for a bogey-free round of 63.

A further stroke behind Bhatia are Ludvig Åberg, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.

Theegala carded a 5-under 67, his lowest score in 14 rounds at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge and the only bogey-free round of the day.

World No. 5 Morikawa owns two top-10 finishes in five prior starts at the event is within striking distance and is seeking to become the first player since Robert MacIntyre to finish runner-up and win the same tournament the next year.

Morikawa, a two-time major winner who ended a two-year title drought with a victory at Pebble Beach last month, surged late for his six-under round.

Defending champion Russell Henley is tied-seventh at five under while Rory McIlroy is a further stroke behind.

World No. 1 and 20-time PGA TOUR winner Scottie Scheffler is T15 at 3-under.

Meanwhile, PGA TOUR rookie and first-round leader Chandler Blanchet continued his fine run at the Puerto Rico golf championships. He carded a 5-under 67 to hold a four-stroke lead after the second round.

Seeking to become the second first-time winner on Tour this season after Jacob Bridgeman, he leads Gordon Sargent, who posted a 2-under 70.

Blanchet missed the cut in all five of his previous starts this year but he’s flipped the script in Puerto Rico, posting 16 birdies over his first 36 holes.

Elsewhere. Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez leads reigning Charles Schwab Cup winner Stewart Cink by one stroke after opening with 6-under 66 at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational.

Meanwhile, it is a three way tie atop the Korn Ferry Tour’s Chile Classic. Doc Redman, Davis Shore and Augusto Núñez are on nine-under 133 atop the leaderboard.

Second-Round Leaderboard (Arnold Palmer Invitational)

Second-Round Leaderboard (Puerto Rico Open)

First round Leaderboard (James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational)

Second round Leaderboard (Chile Classic)