SAN DIEGO — Phil Mickelson hit a drive into a eucalyptus tree that never came down. D.A. Points had a chip from 30 yards short of the flag that tumbled 20 yards over the green and into a hazard.

Ryuji Imada didn't feel as though he played that much better yesterday in the Farmers Insurance Open. The difference was he turned trouble into pars, then finished with a bonus birdie that gave him a two-shot lead at Torrey Pines.

"The score looks pretty solid," Imada said after his 2-under 70. "But it was a struggle out there."

Imada avoided the problems that stalled so many other players on the South Course and wound up at 13-under 203. When his 35-foot birdie putt dropped on the 18th, he had a two-shot lead over Ben Crane and 25-year-old Michael Sim of Australia.

Imada will be going for his second PGA Tour victory, along with an invitation to the Masters.

Crane, who had a 69, has made only three bogeys over 54 holes, and moved into contention with four birdies on his final eight holes yesterday.

Sim, who shot a 70, is a rising star whose career has been slowed by back injuries, yet he showed his potential last year by winning three times on the Nationwide Tour to earn an instant promotion to the big leagues. Trouble was, there was no room for him in many tournaments.

Mickelson shot 70 and was in a group four shots back at 9-under 207.

Mickelson would not have predicted seeing a ball get stuck in a tree — two days in a row. On Friday, it happened in his group to Ryan Palmer. This time, it was Lefty who stared up into the eucalyptus tree, even sending a young fan up the tree to help.

Brandt Snedeker, who played in the final group at Torrey Pines in 2007, birdied the last hole for a 68 and was in the group at 207 along with Mickelson, K.J. Choi (69), rookie Rickie Fowler (70), Matt Every (72) and Points (74).

ELSEWHERE

Qatar Masters: England's Paul Casey shot a 6-under 66 to tie Bradley Dredge of Wales atop the Qatar Masters at Doha, Qatar.

Dredge had a 70 to match Casey at 10-under 206. England's Lee Westwood (70) was at 207.

New Zealand Open: American Robert Gates shot a 4-under 68 to take a three-stroke lead in the Nationwide Tour's season-opening New Zealand Open at Queenstown.

Gates, making his Nationwide Tour debut, had a 16-under 200 total. Australia's Andrew Dodt was 13 under after a 70.