Second round: MacKenzie leads, Perry's close as usual

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Will MacKenzie fired a second-round 64 to take the lead at TPC Deere Run.

SILVIS, Ill. (AP) -- Kenny Perry arrives at the putting green and the routine begins.

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MacKenzie talks to XM
Adamonis on Day 2
Sheehan almost chips in
Baddeley's birdie
Perez eagles from the sand
PGA TOUR Today

Players touch him. They ask what he's eating.

"In my 22 years out here, that's never happened," Perry said.

It's happening now because he's on the best roll of his career.

Perry again sizzled following a sluggish start and was two strokes off the lead after the second round of the John Deere Classic on Friday.

Playing as well as anyone on the PGA TOUR the past two months, the 47-year-old Perry birdied six of his final 10 holes while shooting 5-under 66. That put him in a three-way tie for second place at 11-under 131 with first-round co-leader Charlie Wi (67) and Eric Axley (66).

The strong finish wasn't enough to move past Will MacKenzie (64), who jumped to the top of the leaderboard earlier in the day and is 13 under, but it kept Perry in contention for his third victory in five starts.

"Awesome round," Perry said. "Very proud of this round."

One stroke off the lead when the day began, Perry got going on the eighth hole after taking a drop following his tee shot. He hit a 23-footer from the fringe to save par and stay even for the round. That swing in momentum led to birdies on the next three holes and helped him stay in the running.

His approach from 183 yards on the par-4 ninth landed two feet from the pin, and another good approach on the 10th settled 12 feet from the hole. He buried that putt, then hit a 7-footer on the par-4 11th to go 9-under.

"It just seemed like my whole state of mind changed, my feelings changed," Perry said after his 10th straight round in the 60s.

After a birdie on 17, someone in the gallery yelled, "Way to go, Kenny!"

To read the remainder of this story, click here.

TRIVIA QUESTION

Will MacKenzie's back story is famous at this point. Gave up golf for 10 years, sold grilled cheese sandwiches and washed dishes at Grateful Dead concerts to make money, became a professional kayaker, heli-boarded in Alaska, lived in his van for five years in Montana. But we bet you don't know this about Willy Mack -- he was an outstanding junior golfer but also earned all-state honors in another sport in high school. What was it? See answer at the bottom of the page

Friday's Best

EASIEST HOLE TOUGHEST HOLE The 561-yard, par-5 second hole played the easiest with a Friday scoring average of 4.465. EAGLES: 6 BIRDIES: 81 PARS: 59 BOGEYS: 8 OTHERS: 1 The 186-yard, par-3 third hole was the toughest on Friday with a scoring average of 3.252. EAGLES: 0 BIRDIES: 6 PARS: 108 BOGEYS: 37 OTHERS: 4

SHOT OF THE DAY ROUND OF THE DAY Pat Perez, who's currently tied for 12th, landed in the sand on the par-5 second hole. But Perez managed to hole out from the bunker and make eagle at the easiest hole of the day. VIDEO: Perez's eagle The honor must go to Will MacKenzie. He and Aaron Baddeley both shot 64 on Friday but MacKenzie's seven-birdie, no-bogey performance was enough to give him a two-shot lead after 36 holes. VIDEO: MacKenzie makes birdie

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"That's what makes him great, unique. You always know where he's at because he's not the quietest guy around. He's funny. I remember we were playing in Australia, and we were both sponsored by J. Lindeberg at the time. I was on the practice fairway. He came down the practice fairway, and we had the exact same outfit on, and he just started yelling and making noise. It was hilarious. That's Will. He's just great." -- Aaron Baddeley, on how tournament leader Will MacKenzie has one of the TOUR's most unique personalities

A HELPING HAND

In September of 2005, Adamonis quit golf to teach golf classes at Johnson & Wales University in Miami as long as they would let him go to the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament for one last shot at golf.

Adamonis

He tied for 49th at q-school that year and earned full Nationwide Tour status for 2006.

Now a 35-year-old rookie on the PGA TOUR, Adamonis has finally gotten his game on track. He tied for sixth at the Travelers Championship in his native New England three weeks ago and is in fifth after two rounds of the John Deere Classic.

Still, the going hasn't been easy for this Rhode Islander. Adamonis' father Dave was the golf coach and executive director of the golf management program at Johnson and Wales (2005 NAIA National Champions) but became severely ill with three forms of cancer, prostate, lymphoma and throat/tongue.

Brad and his brother Dave Jr., along with a family friend, ran the program until his father recovered. Brad credits a call from his brother Dave as one of the things that's helped him turn 2008 around.

"He's always been there for me. He's kind of told me where my game is at and told me some of the things I need to work on. You know, last week he said...don't think so much, why don't you just go for your shots and not worry about it so much," Adamonis said. "I hit the ball pretty good last week at AT&T, and then this week I'm hitting it a lot better. So his advice definitely helped me out."

Adamonis has only finished in the top 25 one time in 17 starts this season but he's hoping to change that this week.

OH BABY

The PGA TOUR will have two new additions to the family within the next few months.

Baddeley

Will MacKenzie and his wife Alli are expecting their first child on August 12 and MacKenzie is anxious to meet his little bundle of joy. While rehabbing from a recent knee injury, he worked on the nursery for his new son when he wasn't fishing or surfing YouTube.

"I'm 33 years old. I mean, it's time for me to frigging have some kids. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to hit batting practice and throw grounders, just hit nasty little bounces to my kid and watch him take it in the chest just like I did," MacKenzie said with a laugh. "That's what I'm praying for, that's what I'm hoping for. It's time to do that. I don't want to be too old."

Aaron Baddeley and his wife Richelle will also welcome their first child later this year. Baddeley had to withdraw from last week's event after something came up with his wife's pregnancy and he left to make sure that everything was okay.

While Baddeley's child isn't due for a few more months, MacKenzie's sleepless nights will start really soon. Though the TOUR's free-spirited former champion doesn't want to grow up too much -- "then I'll have a pot-belly or something", he joked -- he's excited to start a new phase in his life.

"I've lived my life. I've played hard. I've played real hard, and it's time," MacKenzie said when a reporter asked if the baby and marriage was going to make him a better player or provide more distractions. "Just ask me that question in about a month, when I'm coming in here like this [looks around with dazed eyes]."

ZACH ATTACK

Watch out for local favorite Zach Johnson if he gets his putter working this weekend. Through 36 holes, Johnson is tied for third in Greens in Regulation (83.33 percent) and tied for first in Driving Accuracy (92.86 percent).

Johnson

What's not so good, however, is his putting. Johnson is tied for 103rd in Putting Average (1.800 putts per green in regulation).

Still, Johnson has to be happy with Friday's score. His second-round 68 came as a nice surprise after only breaking 74 once in the second round of his last seven starts on the PGA TOUR. Johnson entered the week ranked No. 154 on TOUR in Round 2 Scoring Average.


ANOTHER MIDWEST FAVORITE

Looks like Wisconsin native and 2002 John Deere Classic champion J.P. Hayes just needed a trip home to the Midwest to boost his game.

Hayes

Hayes missed 11 of his first 12 cuts on the PGA TOUR this year but opened with 67 and 65 this week and he'll definitely be around on the weekend.

At this point, Hayes must be feeling a little deja vu. He had a similar start to his season in 2006 with five missed cuts in his first eight starts before a tie for second at the John Deere Classic, and a check for $432,000, saved his year. A fourth-place finish later that year at the Viking Classic helped to secure his card for the 2007 season.

But he almost didn't return to the PGA TOUR in 2008. Hayes' status for 2008 was in doubt heading into the final event of the 2007 season as he found himself at No. 123 on the PGA TOUR money list. But a tie for ninth at the Children's Miracle Network Classic moved him up to No. 114 on the money list and in turn secured his status for the 2008 season.

BRITISH OPEN BOUND?

The top player at the John Deere Classic who is not already eligible for the British Open who finishes among the top 10 and ties will gain entry into the field at the year's third major. The exemptions are NOT passed on to the next player if a player does not use the exemption.

Last week Fredrik Jacobson finished second at AT&T National and earned a trip across the pond next week. Here's a look at the current top 10 at the John Deere Classic and where they stand for the British Open.

THINGS TO WATCH ON SATURDAY
1. Harrison Frazar. He's had a less-than-spectacular season with zero top-50 finishes. However, his bogey-free, second-round 65 moved him into the top 10. Can he earn PGA TOUR win No. 1?
2. Jeff Gove. Gove's missed six of nine cuts this season but will cash a check for the fourth time all year. It's just a matter of how high he will finish at this point, as Gove currently sits in the top 10.
3. Kenny Perry. Do we really need to explain this one? He's unstoppable these days and it looks like it's going to be another good week for him. In fact, he might pick up his third win on Sunday.

TRIVIA ANSWER

Football. He was a kicker capable of making 60-yard field goals but grades kept the Greenville, N.C., native from earning any college scholarships. MacKenzie was highly recruited for football, was an excellent soccer player and won golf tournaments at a young age. In fact, his first win came at the Popsicle Open in Greenville when he was just 5 years old. Looks like this PGA TOUR winner could have succeeded in several sports.