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 Scott, the Australian world number two, caught fire from the
par-four fifth hole to post a 31 on the front nine and added two
more birdies including a nice finishing touch at 18 to complete a 65
for eight-under 134 along with American Cameron Tringale.
Scott was hitting the ball like a dream from tee to green, and
reckoned he might have broken 60 if he had taken advantage of the
par-fives and cashed in with his putter on a host of other scoring
opportunities.
"Always hard to put numbers on it but six, seven," Scott told
reporters when asked how much better his score could have been.
"I played the par-fives one-over today. So I could find four there
for you, and missed so many 10-footers it felt like."
Asked if a 59 might have been possible for him, Scott said: "Well,
ifs and buts, but I played well enough if I had it really going on
the green today to do that for sure."
Tringale, who last week disqualified himself from the PGA
Championship for signing an incorrect scorecard, shot a 68 to share
a one-stroke lead with Scott on a jammed pack leaderboard.
World number one McIlroy, on a blazing three-tournament winning
streak that included major triumphs in the British Open and PGA
Championship, shrugged off an opening 74 with a sizzling
six-under 65 to move up to three under par for the tournament.
The Northern Irishman, who took some time off from practicing after
his brilliant run, went back to work after his poor round and got
right back on track.
"I know how well I'm playing and how comfortable I am with my game,
so even to miss a cut feeling like that would have felt really bad,"
said McIlroy. "I put a little extra effort in yesterday and this
morning and made sure I was ready to go."
One stroke behind the co-leaders were Jim Furyk (69) and fellow
Americans Brendon Todd (69) and Kevin Chappell (67) on 135, one shot
better than a group of six that included last year's FedExCup
champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden and Australian Jason Day, who both
fired 64s.
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Also at six-under-par 136 were South African Ernie Els (68), Scotsman
Russell Knox (69), Kevin Na (66) and Bo Van Pelt (71), the overnight
leader.
Others struggled despite softened conditions from overnight rain on the
A.W. Tillinghast layout.
Three-time winner this year Jimmy Walker struck a spectator in the head
with an approach shot, and five-times major champion Phil Mickelson hit
his tee shot on the short par-four fifth hole onto a hospitality dining
deck and played on from there.
Mickelson went on to bogey the hole and shot a 72 but made the cut right
on the number, while Walker posted a 74 to miss it by two.
The cut for the elite field was set at one-over-par 143, with 79 players
carrying on to Saturday's third round at tree-lined Ridgewood Country
Club.
The top 100 players on the FedExCup points list after the tournament
will qualify for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.
Among those missing the cut on an overcast but dry day, were European
Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter (72) and 2012 FedExCup winner Brandt
Snedeker (74), who both finished just outside the cut at 144.
U.S. Open winner Martin Kaymer of Germany soared to a second-round 77
for 148.
(Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Gene Cherry)
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