Na & Kelly Co-Leaders at Players Championship


After beginning the second round tied for the lead with three others, Kevin Na followed up his opening 5-under 67 with a 69 to take a share of the halfway lead with veteran Jerry Kelly at the Players Championship. The $10 million PGA Tour event, golf's so-called "fifth major," is taking place at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Na, a 31-year-old born in Korea who now lives in Las Vegas, carded six birdies and three bogeys to reach 8-under 136. Playing in one of the last groups of the day, the 48-year-old Kelly rose into a tie with Na by firing the tournament's low round of 7-under 65.

The duo sits two strokes ahead of South African Branden Grace (67), Canada's David Hearn (71), and Americans Chris Kirk (68) and Rickie Fowler (69). Hearn was one of the co-leaders entering Friday.

Na's only Tour victory came at the 2011 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Sutherlin in Las Vegas. On Friday he started shakily with a bogey on the first hole but improved as the day went on.

"I wasn't very comfortable after I made the bogey on the first hole, but I made a nice birdie putt on two and followed right after on three," Na said. "My putter was definitely there today. I made a lot of good putts, key par saves, and some good birdie putts."

Slotted in Thursday's last group proved to be difficult for Na, who was in the early wave Friday. Na said later he was fatigued by a short night's sleep; he shouldn't have that problem in the third round. "I didn't get enough rest because I got done so late yesterday and had to come out in the morning. So I think the key is to get some good rest tonight and be ready tomorrow."

Kelly, a three-time Tour winner whose most recent victory came at the 2009 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, was simply superb on one of golf's most difficult and trickiest courses.

The longtime friend of fellow Madison, Wisc., native Steve Stricker began the second round on the 10th tee. Following three birdies on his opening nine to make the turn in 3-under 33, Kelly added five birdies and a bogey for his 65. Kelly's only dropped shot came at the par-3 eighth (his 17th hole), but he quickly rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 ninth.

"You just got to trust yourself in these situations," Kelly said later during a brief TV interview. As for being in Saturday's final group with Na, the former ice hockey player sounded primed for the challenge. "I just love the adrenaline . . . there's nothing like it. It's the only spot I want to be in."

Tied for seventh at 139 are Americans Chris Stroud (69), Bill Haas (67), Zach Johnson (68), Troy Merritt (71), Ben Martin (71) and Scott Brown (67).

One stroke further back sit Americans Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley, Brendon Todd, Charles Howell III, Jim Furyk, Brian Harman, Derek Fathauer, Cameron Tringale and Billy Horschel, South Korean Sangmoon Bae (68), Australia's Marc Leishman (71), Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (71), England's Ian Poulter and Japan's Ryo Ishikawa (69).

Na and Hearn's fellow 18-hole co-leaders, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and Californian Charley Hoffman, slipped down the leaderboard after each recorded 74s to drop into a tie for 27th at 141 with nine others. Also in that group is defending champion Martin Kaymer, who opened with a 69 and shot 72 Friday.

The 36-hole cut was set at even-par 144, which Tiger Woods made right on the number after shooting 73 and 71. While saying after Thursday's round that he "probably shot the highest round I could," the 14-time major winner had six birdies and five bogeys Friday. His sixth birdie came on the par-5 ninth, his final hole of the day, to qualify for the weekend.

Despite making the cut, Woods - playing in his first tournament since last month's Masters where he finished T-17 - sang a similar tune after the second round. "I haven't gotten anything out of my rounds; that's the thing," he told PGATour.com. "I should be a few under par each day, and I'm just not capitalizing on my opportunities, and I need to start doing that. I've given myself plenty of looks when I do, or really kind of green-light iron shots in there."

Still, Woods sounded encouraged. "I feel like I'm playing well enough to get myself up there. I just need one good round to narrow up that gap between myself and the lead, and I feel like I can do that."

The much-anticipated duel between top-ranked McIlroy and No. 2-ranked Jordan Spieth never materialized. While McIlroy eased into the weekend at 4-under, Spieth, winner of last month's Masters, struggled in his first Players Championship on the Pete Dye-designed layout. After starting with a 75, the 21-year-old from Dallas shot 72 Friday to miss the cut by three.

Phil Mickelson is also heading home. The five-time major champion posted rounds of 73 and 76, with Friday's score including a double-bogey and a triple. "It's a tough course. I was thinking to myself as I was walking around, I can't believe I've actually won here," the 2007 Players champion told reporters. "This is a very penalizing course. I kept hitting it in spots that were impossible recoveries."

Seeking to become the oldest player to make the cut at the Players, 57-year-old Bernhard Langer was in position to do so. After a birdie on the par-3 17th, the German - a 23-time winner on the Champions Tour and two-time Masters' champion - put his tee shot into the water on the 18th leading to a bogey and for his second straight 73 to miss the cut by two.

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