Barnes and Leishman tied at Miccosukee Championship

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MIAMI -- "My Friend the Wind" may be Marc Leishman's favorite song title, but Friday at the Miccosukee Championship "Happy Birthday" was probably the song of choice.

On his birthday, Marc Leishman carded a 66 to share the halfway lead. (Cohen/Getty Images)

Inside the Numbers

Barnes vs. Leishman thru 36 Holes in Miami

Category Barnes Leishman Eagles 0 1 Birdies 11 9 Pars 20 21 Bogeys 5 5 Double Bogeys 0 0 Other 0 0 Driving Accuracy 67.9% 60.7% Driving Distance 276.3 yds. 295.8 yds. Greens in Regulation 63.9% 55.6% Putts per Round 26.5 25.0 Putts per GIR 1.565 1.600 Sand Saves 100.0% 57.1%

Leishman (66) celebrated his 25th birthday as co-leader with Ricky Barnes (64) at 6-under 136 after 36-holes at Miccosukee Golf & Country Club. They are one stroke ahead of Josh Broadaway (68), alone in third at 5-under 137.

Six players, including Darron Stiles (70) and Bryce Molder (69), a past champion, are tied for fourth at 4-under 138.

Leishman, winner of the WNB Golf Classic in windy Midland, Texas, two weeks ago, made six birdies, all with putts from inside 10 feet, and a bogey at the second hole when his six-foot putt for par horseshoed on him.

"I've been hitting my wedges close but the putter's been the key this week," said Leishman, who needed only 23 putts. "I'm still trying to get the ball in the hole, just like everyone else. I'm just doing it a bit quicker these last few weeks."

The tall Australian is gaining a reputation as an excellent wind player.

"I grew up in Warrnambool (Australia) and it's one of the windiest places on earth," he said. "You can't fight the wind. You have to pick a shot and let the wind work for you."

Barnes, who teed off No. 10, shot his second-lowest round of the year and seems to be on a roll after consecutive top-10 finishes the previous two weeks. The closest he came to a bogey in his seven-birdie round was at the turn, when his ball plugged in the face of the bunker, short of the green at the 18th hole.

"I had just made six birdies in a row -- well, 15 was a par but it felt like a birdie -- and then got it up and down at 18 to keep my momentum going," said Barnes, No. 21 on the money list. "You still have to finish off the year. I'm not going to be content until I'm in the top-10. That's when you feel secure. I was in good spots all day and never got behind the eight-ball."

Broadaway birdied his last two holes and is happy to be playing on the weekend after coming off a string of eight consecutive missed cuts. Before that stretch he had made nine cuts in a row.

"I'm playing just the same," said Broadaway, an Albany, Ga., native. "I just haven't got anything out of it. Now I have a chance to win, which is what we're all after. That would put me into the top 25. My real goal at the start of the year was top 40 so I'm exempt for the finals."

Broadaway, who plays right-handed with a unique grip, where his left hand is below his right, always gets questioned about it.

"I've thought about having it written down so I can email or fax it," joked Broadaway, No. 49 on the money list. "I picked it up like that when I was five and I've been doing it ever since. My grandfather told me, 'If you're going to be any good you'll have to change,' but I think I'm doing just fine."

Gavin Coles got to 6 under after a front-nine 31 but two back-nine bogeys gave him a second 69, hitting only seven greens in regulation and taking just 23 putts. The Australian is one of six players tied at 4-under 138.

"That's a bit misleading because I only chipped four times and I putted from the fringe a lot," said the Chitimacha Louisiana Open winner. "I've hit it great the last few weeks but I've putted like a C-grader. My 91-year-old grandmother would putt better than I have been."

Aside from his win, Coles has missed five cuts from six starts on the Nationwide Tour but has also played 15 events on the PGA TOUR, almost winning the Stanford St. Jude Championship, before a double bogey at the final hole ruined his chances, eventually tying for eighth.

"I've played too many weeks in a row and maybe that's why my putting has suffered," said Coles. "I've been looking forward to some time off ... although I've had plenty of weekends off."

Vance Veazey (69) won in Panama three years ago in difficult conditions similar to this week which he was relishing with birdies at holes 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. A bogey at the long par-4 15th, where he couldn't reach the green with a 3-wood, combined with another bogey at the last, where his ball buried in the front bunker, dropped him out of the lead.

"You can't fake it around here," said the Memphis, Tenn., native. "You have to be on top of your game or you'll make bogeys."

First-round co-leaders, Fran Quinn (71) and Chris Nallen (71) faltered near the end of their rounds and both are in the group of six at 4 under. Nallen had trouble chipping and dropped three strokes in his final four holes. Quinn played rock-solid all day, but his 8-iron shot from 140 yards at the last got caught up in the wind and plugged in the front bunker leading to a double bogey.

"The conditions were really tough and I had good momentum," said Quinn, who is 58th on the money list. "To finish like that is disappointing. Overall it was a good day -- just a little sour at the end."

Chris Tidland (68), David Branshaw (73) and Ryan Hietala (74), Nos. 24, 25 and 26 on the money list, missed the cut and will almost certainly be outside THE 25 heading into next month's $1 million Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch in Dallas, Texas.

Second-Round News & Notes: Preferred lies were in effect during the second round. ... Steve Wheatcroft (69) holed a 9-iron at the 159-yard 11th hole and Jeff Klauk (69) made an ace with a 172 yard 8-iron at the 17th, making 29 aces on the Nationwide Tour this year. Last year, there were a record 30 aces on Tour. ... Spencer Levin (68) was 5 over through 24 holes. He birdied his final three holes to finish even-par, tied for 26th. ... Scoring average for the second round was 71.930. ... Webb Simpson (73), defeated by Arjun Atwal (70) in last week's playoff, missed the cut, which came at 2-over-par 144 with 66 players advancing to the weekend. Atwal is tied for 26th at even par. ... Todd Fischer (66) made eagle at the 395 yard par-4 13th hole. ... Hole No. 15 was the most difficult with 12 double bogeys and only six birdies. ... Tee times for Saturday will start at 9:20 a.m. ET off the first and 10th tees.