SAN DIEGO — Tiger Woods made short work of the easier North course Friday at Torrey Pines, leaving everyone else long odds of catching him at the Buick Invitational.
Woods chipped in for par, escaped from a couple of trees and wound up with a 7-under 65 to match his best start ever at Torrey Pines, building a four-shot lead over alternate Kevin Streelman as he tries to win this event for the fourth straight year.
The hard part might be reminding himself the tournament ends Sunday.
"If they handed out the trophy today, then it would be over and no big deal," said Woods, who was at 12-under 132. "But since we have so many more holes to play ... as you've seen on tour, anything can happen."
In this case, "anyone" might be more appropriate.
Streelman, a 29-year-old rookie who made it through all three stages of Q-school, was third alternate Thursday morning and was not expecting to play until someone tapped him on the shoulder to say he had four minutes to get to the tee when Matthew Goggin withdrew.
Moments earlier, Streelman had his head down hitting a few putts when he looked up and saw Woods for the first time.
"Boom! He was right there in front of me," Streelman said. "I was kind of awestruck for a second and I said, 'Wow, I guess I am on the PGA Tour.' It was pretty cool."
But he still hasn't met him.
"I was too scared to do that," Streelman said, smiling.
Two days of solid play means introductions will be in order this morning on the first tee. Streelman followed his opening 67 with a 69 on the tougher South Course, which will host the U.S. Open this summer, and will be in the final group with Woods.
The world's No. 1 player said he had never heard of Streelman, and when told that he was No. 1,354 in the world ranking, Woods replied, "I think he might be going up."
Joining them will be Stewart Cink, who shot a 69 on the South and was another shot back at 7-under 137.
EDFORS LEADS QATER MASTERS: Sweden's Johan Edfors birdied four of his last five holes for a 6-under 66 and a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Qatar Masters golf tournament.
Edfors had a 9-under 135 total. England's Lee Westwood (70) and South Africa's Charl Schwartzel (67) were tied for second.
Baseball
TWINS SIGN MORNEAU, CUDDYER: Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer sat side by side, recipients of $104 million of commitment from Carl Pohlad's bank account.
Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP, received the most lucrative contract in Twins history — an $80 million, six-year deal. Cuddyer got three years and $24 million.
PENA FINALIZES DEAL WITH D-RAYS: Tampa Bay's Carlos Pena passed a physical, finalizing a three-year deal worth $24,125,000.
The American League comeback player of the year agreed last week to a $6 million, one-year contract that enabled the Rays to meet a self-imposed deadline to sign him before having to exchange salary arbitration figures.
The 29-year-old slugger took a physical Thursday to complete the multiyear deal, which will pay him $8 million in 2009 and $10,125,000 in 2010.
Pena had 48 homers and 121 RBIs — both career highs — while batting .282 in 2007.
HARWELL CELEBRATES 90TH BIRTHDAY: Ernie Harwell was more than glad to broadcast the menu for his 90th birthday party.
"Three of my four kids and their spouses are coming over for a dinner of pizza, ice cream and cake," the Hall of Fame baseball announcer said Friday. "I like everything on my pizza, so we're going all out tonight!"
Harwell left the broadcast booth in 2002, ending a 55-year career that included 42 years with the Detroit Tigers, along with stints with the New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles.
KNOBLAUGH STILL NOT SERVED SUBPOENA: Former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch still had not been served with a subpoena by federal marshals as of Friday afternoon, four days after a House committee investigating steroids in baseball issued a demand that he testify at a deposition and a hearing.
Knoblauch, a four-time All-Star who played for the Yankees, Twins and Royals from 1991-02, originally was asked to appear last week for what was supposed to be the first of five depositions or transcribed interviews scheduled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Those sessions are in preparation for a hearing Feb. 13, when the witnesses are scheduled to include seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee.
When the committee didn't hear from Knoblauch or a representative, it issued a subpoena to force the 1991 AL Rookie of the Year to submit to a deposition next Tuesday.