Second-round notebook: Bridgestone Invitational

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AKRON, Ohio -- With rounds of 64-69-133, Padraig Harrington currently holds a two-stroke lead over Scott Verplank following Round 2 at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Harrington recorded his lowest back-to-back rounds since shooting 66-66 over the final 36 holes en route to his victory at last year's PGA Championship, his last top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR.

• According to Elias Sports, Verplank's streak of 35 holes at par or better is the longest such streak to start a tournament at Firestone Country Club in the last 25 years.

• With rounds of 66-68-134, Tim Clark broke par in back-to-back rounds at this event for the first time in his seventh attempt at the Bridgestone Invitational

• Clark is enjoying a solid campaign on the 2009 PGA TOUR, with 13 made cuts in 15 previous starts and eight top-25 finishes. One of those finishes was a tie for ninth at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, set up by a 4-and-2 victory in the second round over Tiger Woods. He is 27th in the FedExCup standings.

• Tiger Woods shot an even-par 70 to stay at 2 under for the tournament. Woods is tied for 13th following the second round. The 68-70 matches his 36-hole scores from his victory in 2007. He was tied for third through two rounds that year.

• Woods currently is five strokes off the lead. The worst position Woods has ever held through 36 holes at this event was tied for 17th in 2002, the year the event was held at Sahelee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. His worst position through 36 holes at this event when held at Firestone Country Club was tied for ninth in 2003.

• Before Friday's second round, Woods had never finished a round of competition at Firestone Country Club outside of the top 10. That stretch includes the Bridgestone Invitational (1999-2007, 2009) and the NEC World Series of Golf (1997-1998).

• Jerry Kelly continues his late-season charge to make the United States Presidents Cup team, matching Alvaro Quiros for the best round of the day with a 5-under 65. Kelly improved to tied for third (4 under) and is three strokes off the lead. Kelly has consecutive top-10 finishes leading into this week and has five top-10 finishes in 2009, including a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Kelly entered the Bridgestone Invitational ranked No. 15 in the U.S. standings. He needs to crack the top 10 by Aug. 16 to assure himself a spot on Captain Fred Couples' squad.

• Robert Allenby is ranked No. 11 in the International Team Presidents Cup standings. Allenby is 3 under for the tournament. He is looking for his fourth top-10 finish at this event in his ninth attempt. His best finish, a tie for second, came in 2002.

• Steve Stricker, No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, finished the second round at 4 under and is three strokes off the lead. Stricker has seven top-10 finishes this year including victories at the John Deere Classic and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. With a Stricker victory and a tie for 16th or worse from Tiger Woods, Stricker would move into the No. 1 position in the FedExCup standings.

• Six-time PGA TOUR winner Zach Johnson finished the second round at 3 under and is currently four strokes off Harrington's pace. Behind two victories this year at the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Valero Texas Open, Johnson ranks fourth in the FedExCup standings and could move as high as second with a victory this week. Last year, Johnson finished the season ranked 131st in the FedExCup, failing to advance beyond The Barclays, the first event in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

• Oliver Wilson shot his second consecutive 1-under 69 on Friday and is at 2 under for the tournament. Wilson is one of five players who have finished in the top 10 in the previous two World Golf Championships this season.

• Wilson has eight career runner-up finishes on the European Tour, including four in 2008. Teamed with Henrik Stenson on the European squad at last year's Ryder Cup, Wilson holed the winning putt on the 18th hole to beat Phil Mickleson and Anthony Kim, 2-and-1.

• Spain's Alvaro Quiros equaled Kelly's low round of the day with a bogey-free 5-under 65. Quiros leads the European Tour in driving distance with a 315.6-yard average. He is looking for his first top-10 finish in a PGA TOUR event.

• Of the 18 players in the Bridgestone Invitational for the first time, only Quiros is below par through 36 holes.

• Appleby was assessed a one-stroke penalty on Friday for violation of Rule 18-2a for an incident that occurred during Thursday's first round. On the 15th hole, Appleby had not addressed his ball and placed his club behind the ball and noticed the ball move slightly. He called a PGA TOUR Rules Official to the 15th green where they determined no penalty had occurred. After receiving phone calls from viewers of Thursday's telecast, officials reviewed footage of yesterday's round and determined that Appleby had, in fact, violated rule 18-2a. Appleby's first-round score was changed from 73 to 74 and he is now at 2 over for the tournament.

• Harrington is making his 11th start at the Bridgestone Invitational, with three top-20 finishes. His best result came in his first start in 1999, when he tied for 12th. Harrington, a three-time Major Championship winner, has just three top-25 finishes on TOUR in 2009, with a season-best tie for 11th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. He is currently No. 142 on the FedExCup points list.

• The second-round leader has gone on to win 13 of 32 stroke-play events on TOUR this season. The second-round leader has gone on to win here five out of 10 times.

• Three international players have earned victories at the Bridgestone Invitational: Craig Parry, Australia (2002); Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland (2003); Vijay Singh, Fiji (2008)

• Woods is attempting to win the Bridgestone Invitational for a seventh time (1999-2001, 2005-07). Only Sam Snead has more victories in a single tournament, with eight wins in Greensboro, N.C. Woods has never finished lower than fourth at the Bridgestone Invitational (fourth in 2002, tied for fourth in 2003).

• The only player to win on the PGA TOUR the week before the Bridgestone Invitational and then go on to capture the event was Tiger Woods, doing so in 2000 and 2006. Both seasons, he followed up his victory at the PGA Championship with a win at Firestone Country Club. Woods is hoping to perform the feat again this year, one week after his win at the Buick Open.

• The field includes 11 past champions of World Golf Championships, including four past champions of the Bridgestone Invitational: Cink (2004), Clarke (2003), Singh (2008) and Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007).

• Of the 80 players in the field, Harrington (1), Westwood (T25), Mickelson (T22). Clarke (T36) and Appleby (T46) are the players who are competing for the 11th time at the Bridgestone Invitational. This group has combined for one victory (Clarke, 2003), three second-place finishes, one third and 13 top-10s.

• In his 10th career appearance on the PGA TOUR (four in World Golf Championships), Marksaeng is at 4 under through two rounds. His best TOUR showing was a tie for 13th at the 2009 CA Championship, where he shared the 18-hole lead with Mickelson, Retief Goosen and Jeev Milkha Singh after a TOUR-best 7-under 65.

• This is Marksaeng's second start at the Bridgestone Invitational, posting rounds of 70-73-73-73 en route to a tie for 68th in 2008.

• Mickelson, making his first start on TOUR since a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open on June 21, finished the second round at 1 under for the tournament. The lefthander owns five top-10 finishes in 10 previous starts at the Bridgestone Invitational, with a runner-up finish in his inaugural start in 1999 his best result.

• In recognition of the service and sacrifice that our men and women in uniform have made, the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational will hold an onsite ceremony to honor the special achievements of local military personnel on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009. The ceremony, made possible by global security company Lockheed Martin, in conjunction with the USO of Northern Ohio, will take place at the Championship Club, located on the 16th green of Firestone's South Course. Nine individuals, representing the U.S. Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy, will be honored.
Time: 10 a.m. Location: Championship Club, 16th green, Firestone South Course