Shell Houston Open 2016: Friday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

With less than a week until the prestigious Masters Tournament, the golf season proved it's in full swing with another exciting afternoon at the Shell Houston Open on Friday.

Nineteen golfers are separated by just five strokes at the midway mark, with Charley Hoffman maintaining his lead by one stroke over Jamie Lovemark, who is seeking his first PGA Tour title:

A 90-minute lightning delay highlighted the early action, and the tournament was eventually suspended because of darkness. It will resume at 7:45 a.m. CT on Saturday with a few groups that still need to finish the second round.

Conditions were windier Friday, keeping the competition on its toes at the Golf Club of Houston. Scores were higher as well, as no one shot better than 68.

Jordan Spieth was plagued by subpar putting, finishing at 73 to fall to four under. But the reigning Masters champion avoided a post-round penalty when officials reviewed an incident on the fifth green, where he didn’t make a stroke at his ball.

Spieth scattered three birdies with four bogeys, with three of those bogeys coming over his final seven holes.

The world No. 2 was visibly frustrated throughout the round, via the PGA Tour:

Spieth will need a serious comeback if he hopes to roll into Augusta next week riding the momentum of a win. He finished Thursday six strokes better than Friday, proving he can hang around. But he’ll need a fast start Saturday if he hopes to advance up the leaderboard. 

World No. 5 Rickie Fowler shot a 70 in his second round, one stroke higher than his outing Thursday. He sits tied for 13th at five under.

Fowler weathered a pair of untimely errors after opening the first 17 holes of the tournament bogey-free. He double-bogeyed No. 18 on Thursday, then had another on hole No. 5 on Friday. 

Johnson continues to lurk in the leader’s rearview mirror and had a few nifty shots, including one from nearly 70 feet away on hole No. 9, via the PGA Tour:

Sergio Garcia fell a stroke to one under but had arguably the top shot of the afternoon with an impressive eagle on hole No. 8, via the PGA Tour:

Hoffman is still the front-runner, but by a narrow margin.

North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball coach Roy Williams, who's in Houston for this weekend’s Final Four, gave his assessment of Hoffman’s stellar play, per Dan Wolken of USA Today:

Hoffman, 39, is vying for the final spot in the Masters and can secure a berth in the year’s first major with a win this weekend. He’s only a three-time PGA Tour winner but is proving with his play in Houston he deserves a spot in the field at Augusta.