KAPALUA, Maui >> About the time Patrick Reed was in the media room telling folks how he shot 7-under 66 in wicked tradewind weather, the final pairing of Justin Thomas and Joaquin Niemann were up on the mountain at the 14th tee box just trying to survive.

The wind and rain forced the players and their caddies to huddle behind a pair of oversized umbrellas as the passing showers did their best to send those bad boys blowing down the fairway. Somehow, the caddies kept their players and clubs protected enough to make a run at the clubhouse leader, who was warm and safe and dry, and glad for it.

“I had a clear picture what I needed to do, and for some reason when the weather got worse I seemed to get even more fine-tuned and even more into the game and was able to go out there, hit quality golf shots and the biggest thing was make putts,” Reed said. “Around here, it’s very easy to lose focus because of how wide the fairways are. And now, they’ve widened some of the greens to let guys just free-wheel it.”

Unfortunately for the Houston native, his pursuers had enough holes remaining to catch or pass him for the second-round lead. Defending champion Xander Schauffele dodged the weather, which at times was sedate and at others dicey as hell, well enough to fire a 5-under 68 for a two-day total of 9-under 137, thanks in part to a birdie at the last, to lead after 36 holes.

It looked as if Niemann, who was the first-round leader with a 66, might share the second, but a 20-foot birdie putt at the 18th was short and to the right and he settled for a 1-under 72. He stayed dry on Nos. 15 and 16, but was back under the umbrella almost the rest of the way as a huge, gray cloud descended from the heavens, reminiscent of Stephen King’s “The Mist.”

Niemann caught Reed with a birdie at 16, but failed to draw even with Schauffele with another circle on his scorecard at the last with just a few local fans remaining on this wet Friday at the Plantation Course. By the time Niemann and Thomas, who bogeyed the last two holes, walked off the final green, they were greeted by welcome rays of sunshine. The constant change of weather wasn’t lost on anyone who had to endure it.

“Five-hour twosomes are always fun,” Schauffele said. “I don’t see how we could have played much faster, honestly, unless guys were willing to play in wind and rain at about 30, 35 miles an hour. A day of adjustment is sort of how I like to look at it, and glad we were able to come out on top.”

For much of the day, Reed was alone on top. After a ho-hum 72 in Thursday’s opening round, Reed matched the best 18 of the tournament to move from a tie for 16th into tie for second at 8-under 138. Thomas reached the same number as Reed and Niemann with a birdie at the 16th, but in weather better suited for a hurricane, he bogeyed twice coming in to finish where he started — at 6 under for the tournament.

Thomas was tied for fifth with Patrick Cantlay (71). Rickie Fowler (71) finished alone in fourth at 7-under 139. But the wet and windy weather was the real story for this day. In Thursday’s opening round, the scoring average was 71.706. It went up a bit to 72.088 in trying conditions. Add in the fact that the renovated course allowed no run in the fairways and some fluctuation on the greens, and it’s easy to see how frustration could set in.

“I think obviously this place was due for a resurfacing, but as we all know, new surface only gets better with a few years under its belt,” Fowler said. “We’re all here playing the same surfaces and stuff. Some putts are going to go in, some make you shake your head, and today’s conditions sometimes make you shake your head at the same time, too.”

Schauffele didn’t argue with the head shaking. But he didn’t dwell on it, either. For Thomas and Fowler, the weather and new layouts led to distractions. Schauffele kept those at a minimum and was rewarded with the second-round lead because of it.

“It’s all about adjusting to it,” Schauffele said. “This was a little extreme. But we’ve done it enough to sort of know what to do. It’s just hard to get yourself to commit to certain lines and certain green speeds throughout the day. But kind of just take your attitude and try your best.”