Ben Martin stays on record pace to lead Zurich Classic after 36 holes

Ben Martin shot a five-under-par 67 on Friday to maintain a course-record pace at TPC Louisiana, keeping him atop the leaderboard through two rounds of the Zurich Classic in Avondale, La.

After breaking the course record with a 62 on Thursday, Martin opened the second round with two birdies and an eagle during his first four holes. He shook off a bogey and double bogey on successive holes in the middle of the round and birdied four of his last nine to move to 15 under — the best 36-hole total at the course. No one has had a four-round score better than 20 under.

Andrew Svoboda shot a 68 to remain second at 12 under, but closed his round on the par-three ninth with his first bogey of the tournament.

Robert Streb (66) and Sueng-Yul Noh (68) are at 11 under, and two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton (68) and Peter Hanson (69) were another stroke back. Keegan Bradley (66), Jeff Overton (68) and Charley Hoffman (67) are nine under.

The tournament record score at TPC Louisiana— which is hosting New Orleans’ PGA Tour event for the ninth time — is 20 under, set last year by Billy Horschel.

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Stacy Lewis overcame rain and hail to take the second-round lead in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, shooting her second conseuctive three-under 69 at Lake Merced in Daly City, Calif.

Winless since the Women’s British Open in August, the third-ranked Lewis had a one-stroke lead over 17-year-old playing partner Lydia Ko and first-round leader Karine Icher. Ko had a 71 and Icher followed her opening 66 with a 73.

Lewis and Ko played alongside Michelle Wie, dealing with heavy rain and hail that suspended play for just more than an hour. Play resumed in steady drizzle that gave way to sunny afternoon conditions.

Wie, the LPGA Tour winner last week in Hawaii, was even par after her second 72.

Top-ranked Inbee Park, Mika Miyazato and Ilhee Lee were three strokes back at three under. Park had a 68 in the afternoon, while Miyazato shot 69 and Lee had a 73.

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China’s Alexander Levy shot a career-best 10-under 62 to open a four-shot lead through two rounds of the China Open in Shenzhen. Levy has a 14-under 130 total at Genzon Golf Club. Spain’s Adrian Otaegui is second after a 66.

Henrik Stenson is at three under after a second-round 70 — 11 shots behind Levy. The Swede can nudge Tiger Woods out of the top spot in the world with a victory Sunday.

PGA champion Jason Dufner made the cut with rounds of 73 and 71. Guan Tianlang, the 15-year-old Chinese amateur who made the cut in the Masters last year, dropped out with rounds of 71 and 76.