Unknowns lead the way as PGA hits mid point

By Brendon Hanley Aug 13, 2011, 0:23 GMT

Atlanta, Georgia - First round leader Steve Stricker lost pace to a large group of players on Friday in the second round of the PGA Championship.

Americans Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley lead the way at five under as the challenging Atlanta Athletic Club took its toll on Stricker, who shot a four over in the second round after posting a record-tying 63 on Thursday.

Rory McIlroy survived to the weekend despite concerns over a wrist that he injured yesterday, while defending champion Martin Kaymer and Tiger Woods missed the cut.

Eight of the top 10 - all with scores between three and five under at the tournament's midpoint - are American as the hosts try to break a record streak of six majors without a US champion.

It's a largely unknown bunch of players as only three of the top 20 have won a major championship previously.

One of those who has lifted a major trophy is Jim Furyk, who shot a 65 on Friday to be one of five players at minus four.

'I made a bunch of putts on the front to help myself,' said the 2005 US Open champion.

He said the leaderboard had been hard to read, but the opportunity to win is there.

'It's bunched up. I'm happy with the position I am in. I am just trying to play solid golf. It's a tough golf course, so you need to keep the ball in front of you and try not to make too many mistakes.'

Dufner and Bradley make an unlikely pair at the top of the standings, with the latter's win at this May's Byron Nelson the only PGA tour victory between them.

Dufner did finish tied for fifth at last year's PGA at Whistling Straits, and he opened with an even par round on Thursday before storming around the course on Friday with five birdies and an eagle.

A rookie, Bradley had an even more consistent round on Friday, posting six birdies on his way to a best-of-the-day score of 64.

'I played spectacularly. I made some really good putts for par, and when you do that at a place like this, it's important,' said Bradley.

Joining Furyk on four under is a group of four Americans with Australian John Senden the lone holdout in the top seven.

Scott Verplank, 47, has finished in the top 10 of each major without ever really threatening to win one in his long career, but he should be confident in his relative experience at one off the pace going into Saturday.

Also on four under from the host country are DA Points and Brandt Jobe, who is a 46-year-old journeyman most known for success in Asia.

'It's a very demanding golf course,' said Points, who won his first title earlier this year and is playing in only his second PGA Championship. 'These first two rounds are the best I have struck it in the last year.'

With an even score heading into the round, reigning US Open champion McIlroy bogeyed his first hole and ended up shooting a three-over 73. His low point came on the par three 17 when he hit a shot into the water and three-putted for a triple bogey.

'It felt OK,' said the 22-year-old reigning US Open champion about the wrist he hurt while swinging at a ball that had settled on a tree root. 'It's uncomfortable but probably more mentally than anything as it's always in the back of your mind.

'If it wasn't a major, I probably would have stopped yesterday,' he said after the round that included another three birdies and the same number of bogeys.

Well off the pace was Woods, who improved on yesterday's 77 to fire a 73, but a pair of back-to-back double bogeys on the back nine ended his chance of making the cut, which ended up at plus four.

German Kaymer could not recover from five bogeys on the front nine of his second round and also ended up on the wrong side of the cut at five under.

'I was in a good position, but it didn't happen,' said Kaymer.

Surviving the cut is 2003 PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel, who posted a 66 yesterday but had a 12 stroke swing on Friday, including a six-hole stretch where he scored four bogeys and two double bogeys.