Weekley Vega tied in Bob Hope

Jhonattan Vegas and Boo Weekley are tied at the top in the Bob Hope Classic in California.

Vegas shot a 5-under 67 in windy conditions Thursday for a share of the second-round lead with Boo Weekley.

Weekley had a 66 to match Vegas at 13-under 131 in the 90-hole tournament on four Palm Springs-area courses. Charles Howell III (66) and Chris Couch (65) were a stroke back.

Although Vegas bogeyed his final hole on the Nicklaus Private course, he leads the field with 17 birdies. With power and accuracy off the tee, Vegas used an improved short game to get on top early in just his fifth PGA Tour event.

“It’s good to be hitting the ball well and putting well, especially on a course like these ones where you’ve always got a lot of birdie opportunities,” said Vegas, who played at the University of Texas before excelling on the Nationwide Tour last year.

Although many pros still don’t know him – Weekley had never met Vegas before they shook hands in the media tent after the second round – others already call him “Jhonny Vegas.” As for the unique spelling on his birth certificate, Vegas realizes it might take a while to catch on.

“I’m happy they did it that way, because it’s something different,” Vegas said. “I mean, you only see one Jhonattan spelled that way, so once you see it, you know that it’s me.”