Australian Nick Flanagan grabbed a share of the lead after shooting a 63 today in the second round of the US Bank Championship PGA Tour event.
First-round leader Richard S. Johnson carded 3-under par 67 and Flanagan had a 7-under 63 to share the second-round lead at 10-under over the 6,579-yard Brown Deer Park Golf Course.
Kent Jones and Australia's Gavin Coles were tied for third a shot back of the leaders.
Jones shot 65 and Coles had the low round of the tournament at 62, one shy of the course record.
Another stroke back at 132 were Troy Matteson and Ken Duke, who both shot 65.
Despite retaining a share of the lead, Johnson was upset he had two major lipouts on his final two holes to deny him outright possession of first. The hardest to bear was a putt of just under 10 feet on the par-4 ninth hole.
"It was a really nice putt. It would have been nice to get to 11," the Swede said.
Because Johnson missed the putt, Flanagan caught him with a 12-foot birdie putt on the ninth, which was also his final hole.
Flanagan was delighted to be tied for the lead after struggling in his rookie season. He was promoted to the PGA Tour after winning three times last year on the Nationwide Tour.
"It's really been a bit of a struggle," the 24-year-old said.
"I have not been intimidated out here. It's just learning the golf courses. And my swing just hasn't been cooperating with me."
In a group of seven players at 133 was defending champion Joe Ogilvie, who had a 67 to remain in contention to become the first player to win successive titles.
South African brothers Deane Pappas and Brenden Pappas, who trailed Johnson by a stroke after the first round, slipped down the leaderboard. Brenden shot even-par 70 for a 134 total while Deane had 72 for 136.
The cut was 2-under par 138 and 78 players made it.
It is always hard to follow up a low round like Johnson's opening 63 with another good one. But even though Johnson missed two key putts at the end, he managed to shoot 67 because of two long ones he made earlier -- 28 feet on the sixth hole and 34 feet on the 13th hole.
Flanagan matched Johnson's opening 63 despite a slow start. He began with five pars before he birdied seven of his remaining 13 holes.
"I stayed patient and I really played well on the back nine," he said.
Coles' low round started in sensational fashion when he holed a bunker shot of about 50 feet for birdie on his first hole, the par-4 10th. The dramatics continued with birdie putts of 18 and 19 feet on 13 and 14 and a 30-footer on the fourth hole when he got to the front side.
Although Coles has had trouble putting, that part of his game finally came alive.
"Today the putter decided to behave," he said.
America Kenny Perry shot 68 for a 5-under total of 135 to easily make it to the weekend in a tournament he won in 2003.
Perry, who captured last week's John Deere Classic, has a chance to win for the fourth time this season.
Perry has been criticised for skipping the British Open also being held this week. He wants to make the Ryder Cup team because the event this September is being held in his native Kentucky state. He felt he had a better chance to earn cup points in the US.
"I'm doing what I'm going to do. I'm not listening to nobody else," he said.
