Westlake, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Mathew Goggin and Jeff Curl share the lead at 9-under par 133 after Friday's second round of the Cleveland Open.
Curl sat in first throughout most of the day, but Goggin came surging up the leaderboard after starting the day at even-par, finishing the second round with a 9-under 62. Curl, who shot a first-round 66, ended round two at Lakewood Country Club with a 67.
"I sort of picked up on something mid-round," Goggin said. "I've been practicing really well, but just not hitting the ball very well in play. I kind of freed it up on the back nine and just played more aggressively. I just tried to hit it hard and have that go for it a bit more mentality."
Goggin and Curl hold a 1-shot lead over Whee Kim and Tom Gillis, who sit at 8- under 134 through 36 holes.
Aaron Watkins and Si Woo Kim are both two shots back of the lead at 7-under 135, Jimmy Gunn (67), Cameron Percy (67), Andy Pope (68) and Mark Hubbard (64) all stand at 6-under 136.
Max Homa, who fired a first-round 64 and held a 2-shot lead entering Friday, fell far down the leaderboard to 2-under after a second-round 76. He sits seven shots off the lead.
Goggin, who started his round on the back nine, cruised out of the gate with a birdie at No. 10 followed by a par at 11. Goggin then rattled off three straight birdies at Nos. 12, 13 and 14.
Goggin would finish his opening nine with four pars before birdieing the par-4 first. He would close out his round with four birdies on his final five holes. He has now converted birdies on 12 of his last 28 holes.
"I don't think there's much point (to laying up)," Goggin said. "You just let it fly and try to be aggressive because the rough's not terrible if you've got 9-iron, wedge or 8-iron. If you've got a 7- or 6-iron it's thick enough to make those shots tough. You know the old saying of aggressively at conservative targets."
Goggin is a four-time winner on the Web.com Tour, with his latest win coming in 2011 at the Wichita Open. Curl has yet to win a tournament on the Web.com Tour.
Curl began his round with a par followed by a bogey on No. 2. He got that shot back on No. 5, birdieing the par-3. Curl picked up a huge eagle on the par-5 ninth, which propelled him into the back nine, where he birdied four and bogeyed two.
NOTES: With the cut line at 1-under par 141, 72 players made it to the weekend after 36 holes ... Goggin has hit a total of 31 greens in regulation, which leads the field ... After going bogey-free in the first round, Homa made six bogeys to just one birdie in the second round Friday.