Jim Furyk stepped on the accelerator on Friday while Australia’s charge remained in neutral during the second round of the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.
Furyk backed up his opening round heroics with a four under par 66 to move to 11-under 129, two clear of Spain’s Rafael Cabrera Bello (65) and three ahead of former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (65) of South Africa.
John Senden remains the best of the Australians after an even par 70, but dropped from a tie for third to a tie for eighth at four-under 136, now seven back of the lead.
Geoff Ogilvy (70) also failed to make a run at the leaders, but kept himself somewhat within striking distance at three-under in a tie for 12th.
Senden opened on the back nine at Firestone Country Club and looked set for a big morning when he stiffed his approach on the opening hole to two feet to make birdie.
But he gave the stroke back the very next hole with an overcooked approach to thick rough above the hole causing massive headaches.
Birdies on the 17th and second were tempered with bogeys on the first and ninth, leaving the Queenslander in need of a low third round to make a charge.
“I felt just as good as yesterday out there playing but the bogeys on 11 and one really stopped any sort of momentum during my round,” Senden said.
“But I played well today. The past two days have been great. I’ve been driving the ball well.
“I just need to get out there and do the same work, and hopefully I’m there on Sunday.
“Anything can happen here on a weekend and I shouldn’t be disappointed with even par.”
Aaron Baddeley fired a 66 to get back under par for the tournament, but with 10 shots between the Victorian and the top spot it will take a very low weekend to contend.
Defending champion Adam Scott (+1), Marc Leishman (+2), Jason Day (+5), Greg Chalmers (+6) and Robert Allenby (+12) are all over par and likely out of contention.
Seven-time champion Tiger Woods has seemingly giving up any chance of an eighth win and return to world no. 1 after shooting 72 to be two-over and 13 strokes adrift of Furyk.
