Barnes moves 2 clear at The Players Cup

Winnipeg, MB (SportsNetwork.com) - Erik Barnes carded a 1-under 70 on Friday to increase his lead to two strokes at The Players Cup.

Barnes completed two rounds at Pine Ridge Golf Club at 9-under-par 133. He is seeking his first career win on the PGA Tour Canada.

Bayview Place Island Savings Open winner Josh Persons (67), Brock Mackenzie (70), Drew Stoltz (69) and Matt Hill (68) shared second place at 7-under. Ricky McDonald (68), Timothy Madigan (66), Joshua Creel (72) and Matthew Smith (70) are tied for sixth at minus-6.

Barnes started on the back nine and opened his round with a bogey at the 10th. After parring the next seven holes, he dropped another shot at the 18th to fall to 6-under.

He would later get those shots back with consecutive birdies at the fourth and fifth before reaching 9-under with another birdie at the eighth. He parred the ninth to end there.

Hill and Persons both reached 8-under during their second rounds, but each tripped to bogeys at their final holes to end two shots off the pace.

NOTES: Barnes is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Dakota Dunes Open, where he held a share of the 36-hole lead ... Mackenzie and Hill each have one career win on tour, while Stoltz is seeking his first victory ... The cut line fell at 2-over 144 with 69 players advancing to the weekend.