Former Memorial Tournament champion Paul Azinger took a one-stroke lead over another former winner, Vijay Singh of Fiji, midway through the second round at soggy Muirfield Village Golf Club yesterday.

Play was halted for more than two hours because of heavy rains. The last threesome did not tee off until late in the afternoon.

Azinger, the 1993 Memorial winner who on Wednesday gave an emotional speech on behalf of the late Payne Stewart, his close friend who was being honored here, birdied five straight holes beginning at 13 and completed 36 holes at nine-under-par 135.

Singh, who won in 1997, was six-under for his round through 16 holes and eight under par overall and he finished with two pars to be alone in second place on 136 after a 66.

Defending champion Tiger Woods, who opened with a four-under-par 68, was one-under through eight holes and birdied the 11th and 17th on the homeward journey for a seven under par total of 137.

First-round co-leader Chris Smith added a 71 to join Woods and Sergio Garcia in joint third place. Garcia adding a 69 to his opening 68.

New Zealand's Grant Waite birdied his first four holes to move to seven under par through five holes but he dropped three shots in a row from the 13th on the back nine before a birdie at the last left him at five under at the halfway mark.