Danger is always lurking at challenging TPC course

Oosthuizen, Stanley share lead heading to the weekend at The Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Each birdie by Louis Oosthuizen and Kyle Stanley pushed them higher up the leaderboard, a little further away from those chasing them in The Players Championship.

And as Friday showed, every little bit helps.

Anirban Lahiri looked like a lock to at least make the cut until he hit three shots into the water on the 18th and took a 10. Jim Furyk celebrated his 47th birthday with a solid round that came undone with two shots into the water on the island-green 17th that caused him to take the weekend off.

J.B. Holmes was tied for the lead until bogeys on his last two holes.

Vijay Singh, the 54-year-old surprise of the tournament, poured in putts from everywhere until a three-putt on the 18th gave him a 68 and put him three behind.

“I don’t think you can every get too comfortable out here,” Stanley said after an eight-birdie round of 6-under 66, matching Oosthuizen for the best score of the second round and giving them a share of the lead at 9-under 135.

As conditions toughened at TPC Sawgrass, they played even better.

Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy scrapped it around Friday morning, Johnson making only one birdie for a 73 and McIlroy managing through nagging back pain for a 71. They were at even par and not too bothered. They were only five behind when they finished, and they could sense that because of steamy weather and swaying pines that nobody was going to get too far away from him.

“I’m going to have to play two really good rounds on the weekend,” Johnson said.

Johnson and McIlroy at least are still in the game.

Jordan Spieth was headed home after missing the cut for the third straight year.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., is the top Canadian through two rounds. He shot a 69 and is 5 under.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., began the day as the co-leader with William McGirt at 5 under, but shot a 3-over 75 and fell to 2 under. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford shot 72 and is 1 under while Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., missed the cut with back-to-back 74s.

“We’re in a pretty good spot going into this weekend,” said Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion who still hasn’t won in America. “A lot of golf to be played around this golf course, and as we’ve seen the last two days, you can easily make a mistake around this track.”