Watson & Jones Top Phoenix Open Leaderboard


Bubba Watson followed up his opening 7-under 64 with a 66 to keep his place atop the leaderboard in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The $6.2 million PGA Tour event began Thursday at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.

The 2012 Masters champion isn't alone in first though, as Australia's Matt Jones fired his second straight 6-under 65 to also reach 12-under 130. After eight birdies and a bogey in the first round, Watson had seven more birdies and two bogeys Friday for his 5-under effort.

Watson, who has a home in the Phoenix area, said his game is hitting on all cylinders. "I feel like I should win on every golf course," he told PGATour.com. "I think that once you make the PGA Tour your game travels pretty well.

"Everything is clicking right now. I played really well last week, just didn't make the putts. This time I'm playing well and some of the putts are dropping."

Jones, a 33-year-old from Sydney in search of his first Tour victory, recorded seven birdies and a bogey in the second round. "We definitely got the good side of the draw going early," said Jones, who also resides in the area. "It's going to be cold and the ball isn't going as far."

Two strokes behind the leaders are Aussie Greg Chalmers and Georgia native Harris English, who each shot 67s, while three back are Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (67) and two Californians, Pat Perez and Kevin Stadler, who carded 68s.

William McGirt (68), Patrick Reed (67) and Scott Piercy share eighth at 134 with Brandt Snedeker, who carded the low second round, a seven-birdie 64.

After tying Watson for the 18-hole lead with an opening 64, South Korea's Y.E. Yang struggled in the second round with a 73.

Ben Crane had the shot of the day. The 37-year-old from Portland nearly made a hole-in-one on the 332-yard, par-4 17th hole (his eighth of the day after beginning play on the 10th tee). Crane's drive just missed rolling into the cup, stopping a foot away for an easy tap-in eagle.

With a few players still needing to finish their second rounds, the cut was tentatively set at 1-under 141. Among those heading home are three-time major champion Padraig Harrington and England's Lee Westwood. Scott Stallings, who won last week's Farmers Insurance Open, followed up a 70 with a 74 to also miss the cut at 144, the same 36-hole score as Ian Poulter.

Perhaps the most surprising round of the day was the 80 posted by Keegan Bradley. The 2011 PGA champion began the tournament with a 66 but ballooned to an 80 Friday. The 27-year-old from Vermont never got untracked, with his two birdies not nearly enough to offset eight bogeys and a triple-bogey on the par-5 third hole.

For updated scoring, visit http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/waste-management-phoenix-open/leaderboard.html.