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TSN Senior Reporter

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It wasn’t the best start for Nick Taylor, but the finish was pretty good.

Taylor played the first five holes of his second round of the Sony Open in 1-over and looked as if he might have trouble making the cut. Instead, he went 9-under over the next 13 and takes a two-shot lead into the weekend.

"Early on today, the first four or five holes, I made some nice par putts," said Taylor. "I was 1-over and then I started hitting it better and giving myself opportunities and kept making putts."

His hot stretch started on the 15th hole, his sixth of the day, when he hit his approach to seven feet and made the birdie. He made a four-footer on the next hole to get to red figures, and then pitched in for eagle on par-5 18th to close out the front side.

He made five birdies on the back nine, none more eventful than his final hole of the day. His tee shot darted left, coming to rest against a fence that bordered the driving range. At first, it appeared Taylor would have to play his shot left-handed and hack it back into play, but he got relief from the netting above the fence and was able to play a full shot into the fairway. A wedge to three feet and a simple putt added a final birdie for a round of 62.

"Whenever you get another birdie, it's obviously a nice finish, but after everything that happened, it's nice to walk away with four," said Taylor. "It was a fortunate break and nice to take advantage of it."

The Canadian, who is leading the tournament in Strokes Gained: Putting, will have to keep making birdies if he hopes to earn his third PGA Tour win. There are five players grouped two shots back and another eight players trailing by three shots. The cut came at 4-under with the Waialae Country Club course playing easier in the afternoon as the winds that usually provide a defense, died down.

"I feel like you can make four, five, six pars in a row you're probably getting lapped," Taylor stated, "especially with how the fairways are running."

It marks the second time in his career that Taylor has held the 36-hole lead. The other time was last year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am where he went on to win. Since that victory, however, he hasn’t finished inside the top 25 in 15 starts.

The 62 is also his career-low on the PGA Tour; he’s posted rounds of 63 on four previous occasions.

"I've always liked this golf course," Taylor said. "It kind of suits my eye off the tee. I've driven the ball well the last couple days and really putted well. Obviously when you're doing that you're going to shoot some good scores, and reading the greens well, so hopefully I'll keep doing that."

Taylor tees off in the final group with Stewart Cink and Webb Simpson at 5:50 pm ET.

Mike Weir and Mackenzie Hughes, the two other Canadians to make the cut, will play together at 3:50 pm ET.