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Second-round notebook – Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Photo - Pat Perez * The cut came at 6-under 138, with 83 players advancing to the weekend. The cut equals the lowest in relation to par in PGA TOUR history – with two of the five coming in Las Vegas. The list includes:
6-under 138 - 2008 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
6-under 137 – 2005 Michelin Championship at Las Vegas
6-under 138 – 2005 FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney World Resort
6-under 138 – 2003 Honda Classic
6-under 138 – 2002 Walt Disney World Resort Golf Classic

* Matt Kuchar and first-round co-leader Marc Turnesa, at 18-under-par 126, share the lead at the midway point of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson is just one shot back after a 7-under 65 on Friday.

* Turnesa and Kuchar’s 18-under 126 is the second best opening 36-hole total on TOUR this year, trailing only Carl Pettersson’s 15-under 125 at the Wyndham Championship. Kuchar’s previous low first 36-hole total came at the 2002 Stanford St. Jude Championship (132) and the 2004 Zurich Classic of New Orleans (132), while Turnesa’s came at the 2008 Viking Classic (133).

* Matt Kuchar, Dean Wilson, John Huston and Pat Perez posted the round of the day with matching 9-under 63s. Kuchar, who equaled his career-best round on Friday, is currently No. 93 on the TOUR money list with a third-place finish at the Mayakoba Golf Classic his best outing. He has now made the cut in 15 of 26 starts in 2008, but entered the week with seven consecutive missed cuts.

* Turnesa maintained a share of the lead thanks to an improbable birdie-birdie-birdie-double bogey-eagle finish on the final five holes at TPC Summerlin. An errant tee shot on the par-3 17th hole found the water hazard and led to double bogey, but was followed up with a holed 9-iron from 159 yards for eagle on the par-4 18th hole.

* Kuchar, who missed the cut in 2002 and 2004 in his only previous starts at this event, is holding the second-round lead for the first time in his career. As for Turnesa, he has now held the 36-hole lead three times in his career, with the others coming earlier this season at the Viking Classic (lost in a playoff) and the Stanford St. Jude Championship (finished T37).

* So far in 2008, the second-round leader/co-leader has won 18 of 43 stroke-play events, including most recently Camilo Villegas at the BMW Championship.

* A total of six players have posted two eagles in a round so far this week. Round 1 – Chad Campbell, Bill Haas, Will MacKenzie, Pat Perez; Round 2 – Daniel Chopra, Jason Day.

* Defending champion George McNeill has opened with consecutive rounds of 67 but finds himself eight shots off the lead heading into the weekend.

* Three of the five past champions competing this week made the cut, including George McNeill (10-under), Bob Estes (10-under) and Davis Love III (9-under). Only Paul Azinger and Troy Matteson missed the cut.

* The par-4 second hole played the most difficult on Friday with a 4.171 average, while the par-5 third hole was the easiest for the second straight day at 4.372.

* Rocco Mediate, Davis Lutterus and Tommy Armour III (sinus) withdrew prior to the start of the second round.

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