Los Angeles/Melbourne: Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen drained a 30-foot birdie putt at his final hole on Friday to grab the second-round lead at the Northern Trust Open.

A firm, fast Riviera Country Club course was giving players fits in the $6.7 million (Dh24.6 million) US PGA Tour event.

Goosen fired a one-under par 70 for a 36-hole total of six-under 136 and a one-stroke lead over Canadian Graham DeLaet and Americans Ryan Moore and Justin Thomas.

Moore had four birdies in his three-under 68, the only blemish on his card a bogey at the 18th.

DeLaet had five birdies and one bogey in his four-under par 67 - which matched the best round of the day - while Thomas posted a 69 highlighted by an eagle at the par-five first hole.

Argentinian veteran Angel Cabrera, a former US Open and Masters champion, was alone in fifth place after a 68 for 138.

Goosen said his birdie at his final hole, the par-four ninth, was “a pretty good bonus.”

“It wasn’t a very good shot in there with a sand wedge into the green, but it’s a tough hole there. Any time I birdie on that hole is good,” he said.

The 46-year-old, seeking his first US tour victory since the 2009 Transitions Championship, was among six players who shared the first-round lead on five-under par.

He was pleased with his performance in the testing conditions.

“I didn’t hit the ball as good as I hit it yesterday,” he said. “Today was a little bit scrambling ... but I got it up-and-down quite a few times, and that kept the round going.

“The thing is, if you miss the fairway, you can’t even stop it with a wedge out of the rough.”

Goosen, who has struggled to regain full fitness since back surgery in 2012, said he was excited to be in contention.

“It’s been such a long time,” he said. “Who knows how my game is going to hold up, but I’m feeling good.”

For Moore, the difficult conditions made his closing bogey a little easier to swallow.

Meanwhile, newly crowned world number one Lydia Ko shot a one-under-par 72 on Saturday to retain a share of the lead heading into the final round of the women’s Australian Open, the third event on this year’s LPGA Tour.

The 17-year-old from New Zealand had three birdies and two bogeys to finish at seven-under on a hot and humid day at Royal Melbourne.

“You hit in on to the green and you have this humongous break,” Ko told reporters. “It’s tough in every aspect ... it does feel like a major.” Ko finished the round tied with another teen, Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who also shot 72 after starting her day with a bogey on the first hole.