Orlando, Fla. ? Imagine how Rocco Mediate felt the first time he met Arnold Palmer on a golf course. He was 19 when friends secretly arranged a golf game at Latrobe, and the kid was so overcome by seeing the King that he nearly turned and ran.

Imagine how he would feel 25 years later to see Palmer waiting for him Sunday afternoon on the 18th hole at Bay Hill.

“It would be pretty interesting to see if I could even talk,” said Mediate, a guy who rarely shuts up.

Mediate chatted away through wind and rain Friday, making birdie on two of the toughest holes during his 5-under 65 that gave him a three-shot lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Tiger Woods was lucky to still be in the mix.

Tied for the lead after a 64 in the first round, Woods hooked one tee shot into the water and hit plenty of others into the rough. He closed with four tough pars for a 73, leaving him six shots behind.

Asked for any positives to take out of a bad day, Woods replied, “I broke 80.”

“It was pathetic,” he said. “I struggled all day. At least I’m still in contention.”

Mediate was at 9-under 131 and gets to spend a third straight day with Paul Casey, who gladly exchanges the banter. Casey shot 70 and was at 134 with John Rollins, who played with Woods and shot 65.

The group at 5-under 135 featured former British Open champion Ben Curtis (67), former PGA champion Shaun Micheel (68), Players champion Stephen Ames (67), Sergio Garcia (69) and Vaughn Taylor, who bogeyed his last two holes for a 71.