Steele maintains slim lead

NAPA, US — Brendan Steele, who tied the course record with a 63 in his opening round, remained atop the leaderboard Friday with a two-under 70 after 36 holes of the Frys.com Open. American Steele is trying to become just the second ever and the first wire-to-wire winner of the event since Rocco Mediate did it in 2010. Steele has hit 30 of 36 greens in regulation as he leads four players by two strokes — Will Wilcox (67), Jhonattan Vegas (71), Graham DeLaet (68) and Harold Varner III (70). Scotland's Martin Laird (71) and England's Justin Rose (69) are in a group of four at 136. Wilcox is making his first Frys.com Open start, while Varner is a USPGA Tour rookie. World No. 3 Rory McIlroy was six shots behind after shooting a one-under 71 Friday on the heels of 68 in the first round. McIlroy was let down by his dodgy putting Friday. He made just two putts outside of five feet but on the flip side he managed to get into the weekend action. "Didn't hole anything really," said McIlroy. "Kind of the story of the day. Just very frustrating," he added. The cut in the PGA Tour's season opening event was set at two-under 142.

Sullivan seizes control

Englishman Andy Sullivan cranked up his bid for a third EPGA title this year when he fired his second straight round of seven-under 64 to move three shots clear at the Portugal Masters Friday. A 36-hole total of 14-under at the picturesque par-71 Oceanico Victoria Golf Club put the 29-year-old in command, following perfect early conditions that are predicted to worsen over the weekend. Belgian hotshot Thomas Pieters, 23, is Sullivan's closest rival. He stands at 11-under, and finely poised after a 66 to follow his opening 65. Spaniard Eduardo De La Riva bounced back from three front-nine bogeys to reel off five birdies in eight holes as he lies on 10-under along with Austria's in-form Bernd Wiesberger. Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Anthony Wall are tied for fifth on nine-under, and five back. A shot further back are Danish veteran Thomas Bjorn, his compatriot Soren Kjeldsen, South African Trevor Fisher Jr., Adrian Otaegui of Spain and England's Chris Paisley. — Agencies