Sean O'Hair leads Palmer Invitational by 3

ORLANDO, Fla., March 27 (UPI) -- Sean O'Hair shot 5-under-par 65 Friday and leads the PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando by three strokes over Jason Gore after 36 holes.

O'Hair, beginning his round on the back nine, bettered his opening-round 3-under 67 by starting with three straight birdies and finishing with four in his first nine holes. His lone blemish was a bogey at the par-4 ninth.

His total is 8-under 132 after two rounds at the Bay Hill golf course.

"I think the driver really set my round up nicely, which was nice," the 26-year-old Texan said after the second 36-hole lead of his PGA career. "If you're swinging the driver nicely, you're probably going to swing at the irons nicely."

Gore, the first-round leader, shot even-par 70 Friday and has 36-hole total of 5-under 135.

Australia's Robert Allenby (65) and Japan's Ryuji Imada (66) share third place at 4-under 136. Defending champion and five-time Bay Hill winner Tiger Woods (69) is alone in fifth at 3-under 137.