Marino in position for first PGA Tour win

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Steve Marino moved within reach of his first PGA Tour victory Friday by grabbing the lead at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Marino shot a 6-under-par 66 at the Pebble Beach Links and was at 13-under par midway through one of the highlight events on the PGA circuit.

Three courses are used over the first three days of the event -- Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula. Those surviving Saturday's 54-hole cut will conclude the tournament on Sunday at Pebble Beach. The Monterey Peninsula course is a par 70 and the other two have a par of 72.

Marino turned professional in 2002 and has been a runner-up on the tour three times. He last had the 36-hole lead at the 2009 British Open, an event eventually won by Stewart Cink in a playoff over Tom Watson.

"That tournament (the British Open) gave me a lot of confidence," Marino said. "I only think you can take positives from a situation like that."

D.A. Points was alone in second at 9-under after shooting a 70 at Spyglass. Keegan Bradley fired a 69 at Spyglass and was at 8-under. Three-time major championship winner Padraig Harrington and Sam Saunders, the grandson of Arnold Palmer, were among those at 7-under.

Phil Mickelson was at 4-under and Mark Wilson, a two-time winner on the tour this year, was at even par.