Golf: Three birdies in six holes help Glover to three-stoke lead

US Open golf champion Lucas Glover tightened his grip on the SBS Championship in Hawaii yesterday when three birdies in the last six holes put him three strokes clear after round two.

On another surprisingly benign day on the spectacular Maui coastline, Glover fired a sizzling eight-under-par 65 to set the pace in the PGA Tour's season-opening event, contested by 28 golfers who won PGA Tour events in 2009, albeit without the signal presence of one Eldrick "Tiger" Woods.

After eagling the par-five ninth to reach the turn in four-under 32, the long-hitting American picked up further shots at the 10th, 13th, 14th and 16th for a 15-under total of 131.

Glover ended up just two shy of matching the tournament record for the first 36 holes, South African Ernie Els having set an aggregate of 17-under 129 on his way to victory in 2003.

"It was slow starting out but I got it turned around in the middle of the front nine," Glover said after recording seven birdies, one bogey and one eagle. "I was lucky enough to eagle nine again and I made some putts I shouldn't have."

Compatriot John Rollins hit a 66 to lie second, one ahead of fellow countrymen Sean O'Hair (67) and Matt Kuchar (68), Australian Geoff Ogilvy (66) and Scotland's Martin Laird (68).