NEW ORLEANS -- Joe Durant played his best golf of the year on Friday with eight birdies -- four of them with a wedge -- for an 8-under 64 which gave him a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Durant was at 12-under 132, and when told that he was more than halfway toward a 72-hole scoring record at English Turn Golf & Country Club (22 under), it was all he could do to keep from laughing.

"It's way too early to start thinking about that kind of stuff," he said. "For me, I'm happy to be playing fairly solid."

Brett Wetterich closed with an 8-foot birdie on the ninth hole for a 65, and 10 under overall.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen sputtered at the start and then steadily improved for a 3-under 69 that left him in a group of seven players at 9-under 135 that included three rookies (Charley Hoffman, Eric Axley and Ryan Hietala) and England's Ian Poulter, who had never played the course until he stepped onto the first tee on Thursday.

The others at 135 were Michael Allen and Stephen Leaney of Australia.

David Toms, who won in New Orleans five years ago and has raised more than $1.5 million through his foundation to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, ran off eight birdies in a round of 67 that left him in the group at 136.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson wasn't sure what to make of his round. He hit two balls in the water, but was thankful two others barely stayed on land. And by the end of a 1-under 71 that left him seven shots behind, Lefty thought he found something in his swing that might help him on the weekend.

"My expectations were a lot higher," said Mickelson, trying to win his third consecutive start. "The last four holes, I started to hit it a lot better. I think I should have a much better weekend than I had the first couple days."

Durant sure didn't have high expectations.

Without a victory since he won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and Ford Championship at Doral in consecutive starts five years ago, Durant had only eight rounds in the 60s this year, and while he has made seven out of 10 cuts, he has yet to crack the top 35.

Durant, who lives in Pensacola, Florida and considers New Orleans the closest thing he has to a hometown event, opened with a 68 and then fired away in a warm, steady breeze on Friday morning that came out of the opposite direction and made English Turn play about one shot harder than the first round.

He birdied three straight holes, one of those a 6-iron to about a foot on the par-4 fifth, and was solid with his irons except for one shot. With a 9-iron left on the 14th, he left it 40 feet away and wound up making that putt for birdie. For a guy who hasn't had much go right this year, he called this a steady round that ended up being a 64.

"I just got off to a shaky start this year," Durant said. "Most of my career, I basically relied on hitting the ball fairly well. When you don't, the panic flag can go up a little bit. I made a lot of cuts, but I haven't played particularly well. It's such a fine line out here. It can drive you nuts sometimes. You've got to work through it and keep practicing."

Durant made eight birdies on Friday. (Shamus/WireImage)

The cut was at 4 under, however, so only eight shots separated first from last with 36 holes to play. It was so bunched that Toms was tied for 10th, but as close to the lead as he was to the bottom.

He prefers to think of himself as four shots behind, and he figures to have most of the gallery behind him on the weekend considering his Louisiana ties and how Katrina hit home to him.

"I'm playing on Saturday," said Toms, who missed the cut in the last two tournaments. "I hit the ball well, and that set me up to have a lot of irons shots where I could attack.

He was concerned when he started his day at 3 under, and saw a message on one of the leaderboards that the cut was projected at 4 under. The wind was blowing across most fairways, making it tougher than usual. Toms, who had missed his last two cuts, did not want to be home for the weekend at this tournament.

"I just poured it on," he said of his eight birdies.

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