Niemann sets 36-hole record to lead by two at Riviera

Joaquin Niemann had another highlight-reel day at Riviera Country Club on Friday setting a 36-hole tournament record to lead the Genesis Invitational by two shots.

The 23-year-old Chilean, who equalled the first-round record with an eight-under par 63 on Thursday, fired another 63 for a 36-hole total of 16-under 126.

He was two strokes in front of American Cameron Young, who powered up the leaderboard with a nine-under par 62 to stand on 128.

Both totals were inside the previous two-round tournament record of 130, achieved by four golfers most recently Sam Burns last year.

"Everything is working pretty well," Niemann said. "Obviously I'm making a lot of putts right now.

"I feel I'm starting my ball online with the putter, so when you have greens this good, when you start your line, I think you've got a good chance of making putts, so I think that's been big this week."

Niemann had a quick turnaround in the tournament hosted by Tiger Woods after a late tee time on Thursday.

Despite little sleep he was able to back up his impressive opening effort.

He opened with a bang at the first hole, where he landed his second shot three feet from the pin for an eagle.

He rolled in a 14-foot birdie putt at the second and gave himself a tap-in at the seventh before picking up his fifth shot on the front nine with a nine-foot birdie at the ninth.

Niemann bounced back from a bogey at the 10th with a 12-foot birdie at 11 and a 42-foot birdie putt at the 12th.

Young was piling on the pressure with a late charge when Niemann added a 17-foot birdie at the 14th and a tap-in birdie at the par-5 17th.

"The one thing on days that I played that good and then I got to come the day after, sometimes it's probably not as good," he said. "But I was able to try to