Padraig Harrington broke par for the second straight day, something he hasn’t done in four months. Two more days like that and it could lead to something he hasn’t done in a year.

Without a victory since the PGA Championship, Harrington tread carefully across Firestone yesterday for a 1-under 69 that gave him a one-shot lead over Tim Clark (68) at the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

“I’m obviously pleased,” said Harrington, who was at 7-under 133. “I shot a good score [Thursday] — put me up there — and it’s nice to shoot a reasonable score to back it up. Break 70 on the weekend a few more times and I should be doing OK.”

Scott Verplank went 35 holes without a bogey until hitting into the trees on the 18th hole, leaving him alone in third at 135.

Tiger Woods, a six-time winner at Firestone, was among 20 players within five shots of the lead after an even-par 70. He was tied for 13th at 2 under, the first time after any round at Firestone he has been out of the top 10.

Phil Mickelson, playing for the first time since his wife’s surgery for breast cancer last month, put together a 69 to finish six shots behind Harrington.

ROLLINS LEADS AFTER 62

In Reno, Nev., John Rollins matched the course record with a 10-under 62 to take a two-stroke lead in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, and Chris Riley tied the PGA Tour mark for relation to par for nine holes with 9-under 27.

Rollins had a 12-under 132 total — leaving him two strokes ahead of 2003 PGA champion Shaun Micheel, who followed an opening 69 with a bogey-free 65.

In St. Louis, Jennifer Song moved within two matches of becoming the second woman to win two U.S. Golf Association championships in the same year, beating Stephanie Kono in the U.S. Women’s Amateur quarters.