After 36 holes in the brutal conditions at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Glub this week in England, 31-year-old Brandt Snedeker has yet to make a single bogey. In what has been a remarkable stretch for the Nashville native, one that has seen him ascend the leaderboard to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend's final two rounds, Snedeker carded a 6-under round of 64 on Friday to firmly stake his claim.
Snedeker will join Adam Scott, who is one stroke behind the pace at 9-under, in Saturday's final pairing, while Tiger Woods (6-under) and Thorbjorn Olesen (5-under) also remain right in the mix. Woods used a jaw-dropping chip-in for birdie on the 18th and final hole on Friday to pull himself into third place and set things up nicely for the weekend.
Right behind the early favorites in a tie with four other men is none other than Cleveland's own Jason Dufner. Dufner responded from an opening round of 70 that included two double bogeys on Monday with a 4-under 66. The strong Friday performance has Dufner squarely in a tie with fellow contenders Paul Lawrie, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell and Thomas Aiken, who all remain well within striking distance. Aside from Snedeker's stunning round of 64, Dufner's second round 66 tied with the Danish Olesen as the second lowest of the day.
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