PARAMUS, N.J. — A tournament that once looked as though it might belong to Tiger Woods shifted late Friday to the hands of 22-year-old Australian Jason Day, who showed some of his great promise with three late birdies for a 4-under-par 67 and a one-shot lead in The Barclays.
Nine players had at least a share of the lead at some point during the second round until Day’s late surge. He was at 8-under 134, one shot clear of Kevin Streelman (63) and Vaughn Taylor (70) going into the weekend of the FedEx Cup’s first playoff event.
“I just tried to stay as patient as possible, and it just kind of fell in my lap, which was really good,” Day said.
Woods didn’t so much lose his patience as much as his putting stroke. Part of that was playing in the afternoon on greens that became bumpy under foot traffic and a day of blazing sun. He missed a 20-inch par putt on the fifth hole and failed to make a birdie on the easier front nine.
“I didn’t hit it bad at all,” Woods said. “I hit it really good. As I said, I didn’t putt really well. I hit it as good as I did (Thursday). If I don’t make putts, I don’t score.”
He wound up with a 73, eight shots worse than his opening round. The good news for the world’s No. 1 player — he will stay atop the world ranking for at least another week after Phil Mickelson missed the cut, and Woods is still in contention.
“You play around here and post good numbers, you’ll move up the board,” Woods said. “The guys aren’t going to be tearing this place apart.”
Streelman sure did.
Two years after narrowly missing a playoff in this event at Ridgewood Country Club, Streelman ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch for a 63 that will put him in the final group today. Clearly, this is no ordinary place for him. Streelman’s grandparents are buried in a cemetery beyond the seventh hole. His parents live in the area.
“It’s like a special home for me, a special place,” he said.
Stewart Cink raised his Ryder Cup hopes with a 69 that tied him at 6-under 136 with CSU graduate Martin Laird (67) and John Senden (69).
Wie hanging on at Canadian
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Michelle Wie’s second round didn’t have the wow factor of a hole-in-one, but a 3-under 69 was enough to keep her atop the leaderboard halfway through the Canadian Women’s Open.
Wie posted a two-round total of 10-under 134, three strokes ahead of Jiyai Shin, who had a second-round 67.
Wie had her ace on the par-3 11th during her first- round 65, a course record for a women’s competition.
“I tried. Didn’t work out,” Wie said with a smile referring to not repeating the ace. “I think they were very disappointed on 11 today when I made a bogey.”
Price closes strong
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Nick Price birdied five of his last seven holes and surged into the lead with a 9-under 63 in the first round of the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic.
Tom Pernice Jr. had two eagles and is one shot back after a 64, and Hal Sutton and Bernhard Langer each shot 66.
Trio tied atop Gleneagles
GLENEAGLES, Scotland — Gary Boyd (68), David Lynn (68) and Julien Guerrier (67) were tied for the lead at the Johnnie Walker Championship, completing two rounds at 9-under.
