Bad day at Barclays still leaves Mahan in good shape

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PARAMUS, N.J. -- He hit it better than he did when he opened with a 62.

He had a ton of looks, too.

Hunter Mahan struggled on Friday but is still in prime position. (Martin/Getty Images)

But Friday, he scored 11 shots higher.

Hunter Mahan shook his head.

"Just didn't make anything,'' he said. "Bogeys definitely should have been avoided and I definitely didn't handle ... those parts very well.''

Perhaps not. But after opening rounds of 62-73, he's still sitting one line down from leader Steve Stricker going into the weekend at The Barclays. He's three shots back, but one up on Kenny Perry, Dudley Hart and Angel Cabrera, who are tied for third.

That's good territory to occupy in the FedExCup points race. Good position as Paul Azinger prepares to make his captain's picks for next month's Ryder Cup.

"I'm going to try to play as good as I can and try to make the decision easy for him,'' said Mahan, who is 13th in the standings and has apologized and tried to distance himself from some inflammatory comments he made several weeks ago. "You know, I've just got to play this week for this week."

And to borrow another cliché, one day at a time.

"I just tried to play today for today,'' he said. "I mean, I really was comfortable with my game, and I just couldn't get anything going. I made a bogey and then made a birdie and then made another bogey. I never got under par today, not once. Just couldn't get over the hump.''

Mahan teed off Thursday morning in cool, crisp, perfect conditions when he and his new putter shot his 62. Friday, he went off in the heat of the day and found Ridgewood Country Club's greens crusty and a bit tougher.

He was one down to Stricker when he teed off, then turned 1 over. After a birdie at the first, he struggled with bogeys at the fifth and ninth holes to finish at 2 over for the day.

"When you shoot 62, it's so clean and easy and I didn't have much stress yesterday,'' Mahan said. "Today I had to make some putts for par. You know, it's just golf. Some days are easy, and some days are hard, and this was a hard day. "

The weekend doesn't look to get any easier, either. Temperatures are climbing into the mid 80s and the sun and breeze are all helping the course play firmer and faster.

"The course is only getting tougher,'' Mahan said. "I love where my game is. I just have to keep playing golf.''