Atlanta, GA – Following a rough start, Adam Scott birdied stroke lead after the second round of the Tour Championship.
Scott fired a five-under 65 to finish 36 holes at eight-under-par 132. The Australian claimed his eighth PGA Tour title earlier this year at the WGC- Bridgestone Invitational.
"Yeah, great finish for the day. I felt overall I played well, but there was some sloppy stuff early on and managed to put it all back together," Scott said. "So, I was happy with that after a poor start, but in great shape with two days to go. I'm very pleased with what I've done so far."
K.J. Choi also had a 65 Friday to move into second place at minus-seven.
World No. 1 Luke Donald (68) and Jason Day (67) share third place at East Lake at six-under-par 134.
This is the final event of the PGA Tour playoffs for the FedExCup, and Scott is projected as the winner of the $10 million prize at this point. Webb Simpson, the leader of the points race, managed an even-par 70 and is tied for 19th at minus-one.
Several players are also trying to impress Presidents Cup captains Fred Couples and Greg Norman. Couples has said that he'll take Tiger Woods with one pick, so there is only one spot to be filled on the American team.
PGA Champion and first-round leader Keegan Bradley tripped to a one-over 71 to slide into a share of fifth place at five-under-par 135. Among those he is tied with is Bill Haas, who carded a 67 to get to minus-five. Haas' father, Jay, is one of Couples' assistant captains.
Aaron Baddeley is trying to earn one of Norman's captain's picks. He managed a one-under 69 and is tied for 10th at minus-three.
Scott looked anything but the second-round leader early on Friday. He dropped a shot on he first, but atoned for that error with a birdie on No. 3.
However, Scott failed to get up and down for par after missing the green on the fourth. He fell to minus-one with another bogey on the sixth.
"I was pretty annoyed at myself, but I'm playing too good to let myself slip away at the moment," Scott said of his rough start. "Last week that's what I did. It just slipped away to where I could never get anything happening again. I played good last week, but never got any momentum, and it was happening here early today."
Scott was four off the lead at that point, but he quickly got within one. He rolled in a six-foot birdie try on No. 7 to start a run of four straight birdies.
At the eighth, Scott ran home a 36-footer for birdie and followed with a two- putt birdie on the par-five ninth. Scott made it four in a row with a seven- footer on the 10th.
Scott, the 2006 Tour Championship winner, was still one back at that point after Choi birdied 14 and 15 to get to minus-seven. Choi parred out to remain there.
Scott knocked in a five-foot birdie try on 12 to again move within one of Choi's lead. The Australian parred the next four holes.
The 31-year-old Scott converted a seven-foot birdie chance on the 17th to join Choi at minus-seven. Scott grabbed the lead with a birdie putt from just inside 10 feet at the par-three closing hole.
"I've actually birdied them both days so far, so I'd like that trend to continue," Scott said of the final two holes.
Choi birdied the first and third before five consecutive pars from the fourth. He birdied the ninth to join Day in the lead, but that was short-lived.
The Korean made it two in a row with a kick-in birdie on No. 10. Choi faltered to a bogey on No. 13 and created a six-way tie atop the leaderboard.
That didn't last long, as Choi sank an eight-foot birdie putt on 14 and came right back with a 27-footer for birdie on 15 to get to seven-under.
"So far, so good. The swing is great, and then scoring is fantastic," said Choi. "I'm in very good position for the weekend, and I'll keep going for best finish."
NOTES: Scott, who was also the 36-hole leader at the second Playoff event, the Deutsche Bank Championship, has converted six of his previous 10 36-hole leads into victory...There have been 33 sub-par rounds through 36 holes...Scott and Mickelson are the only two winners of this event since 2003 that are in the field this week...Mickelson (70) is tied for 15th after 36 holes.
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