Hovland separates from pack at Bay Hill

Rising Norwegian star Viktor Hovland used his hot putter to ring up seven birdies on Friday and take the second-round lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Hovland's six-under 66 moved him to nine-under 135, for a two-shot lead over Talor Gooch, England's Tyrrell Hatton and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.

Billy Horschel (71) is alone in fifth place at six under, and no one else is closer than six strokes behind Hovland, who needed just 23 putts to complete the low round of the day at Bay Hill.

"I knew I putted well, but I didn't know it was 23," Hovland said. "I just really saw the lines really well and able to start it online.

"Sometimes when you see a couple go in early, it's easy to keep that feel going throughout the day."

Hovland began on the back nine and birdied Nos.10 and 12 early. After recording his lone bogey at the par-4 13th, he strung together three birdies at Nos. 15-17, the first of which fell from 26 feet away. He wrapped up with birdies at the par-5 fourth and sixth holes.

The 24-year-old has notched three wins since November - the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, the Hero World Challenge (an unofficial event) and the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour.

It helped him rocket to No.4 in the world rankings.

McIlroy (72) and Gooch (68) faded down the stretch to give Hovland some cushion at the top.

McIlroy led after one round and made a bogey and three birdies on the front nine Friday afternoon to get to nine under with Hovland.

But he three-putted for bogey at the par-4 15th, badly missed a birdie putt at the par-5 16th and missed the green on the par-3 17th en route to another bogey.

"Those are the sort of greens you expect to see late on a Sunday, not late on a Friday," McIlroy,