JOIN USUnsung Dufner, Bradley in joint lead
Eight players were within two shots of the lead but there were few big names among them -- Tiger Woods missed the cut along with British Open champion Darren Clarke and 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell.
Instead, the 34-year-old DA Points and 40-year-old Australian John Senden -- both with just one PGA Tour win each -- were among a quartet of players a stroke behind the leaders.
Jim Furyk, the 2003 US Open winner and the experienced Scott Verplank, who has seven PGA Tour wins to his name, were also just a shot back on a leaderboard that few would have predicted but which did not surprise the frontrunners. Loitering with intent, however, are the better known Australian Adam Scott, who shared the lead briefly before suffering a bogey on the 14th and a double-bogey on the difficult final hole, and Britain's Lee Westwood, whose 68 kept alive his hope of his first triumph in a major.
Overnight leader Steve Stricker's four early bogeys undid much of the good work from his sizzling opening round of 63 but he was still only two strokes off the lead.
There was plenty of drama, though, from two of the sport's top attractions -- Woods and US Open winner Rory McIlroy. Woods, a four-time PGA Championship winner, shot a three-over 73 to leave him at 10-over for the tournament and heading home early for the first time in this event.
He double-bogeyed the par-four 11th after chipping from a bunker, over the green, into water and suffered another double on the 12th.
Woods ended his round going from sand to water as he bogeyed the 18th and left the course looking tired and dejected after just his second event back after a three-month injury lay-off.
The attention in the early part of the day was on McIlroy, playing with a bandaged forearm, as he struggled to a three-over-par 73 that left him well behind the leading pack.
The Northern Irishman hurt his wrist on the third hole Thursday and played through pain to finish at even par with his further participation in the tournament in doubt.
However, McIlroy looked more comfortable as he dealt with the challenging Highland course at Atlanta Athletic Club on Friday.
Atwal crashes out
Arjun Atwal missed yet another major cut as his second-round card of 73 was not enough to get him past the halfway mark, adds PTI.
Atwal had three birdies and six bogeys in a card that gave him a total of 151. It was Atwal’s fifth missed cut in five starts at majors since 2004.
Leading scores (after second round):135: Jason Dufner (USA, 70, 65), Keegan Bradley (USA, 71, 64); 136: DA Points (USA, 69, 67), John Senden (Aus, 68, 68), Jim Furyk (USA, 71, 65), Scott Verplank (USA, 67, 69); 137: Anders Hansen (Den, 68, 69), Brendan Steele (USA, 69, 68), Steve Stricker (USA, 63, 74), Brandt Jobe (USA, 68, 69); 138: Johnattan Vegas (Ven, 70, 68), Adam Scott (Aus, 69, 69), Jerry Kelly (USA, 65, 73); 139: Lee Westwood (Eng, 71, 68), Scott Piercy (USA, 71, 68), Davis Love III (USA, 68, 71); 140: Johnson Wagner (USA, 71, 69), Mark Wilson (USA, 69, 71), Simon Dyson (Eng, 68, 72), Trevor Immelman (RSA, 69, 71), Brendon de Jonge (Zim, 68, 72), Gary Woodland (USA, 70, 70), Ross Fisher (Eng, 71, 69), Robert Garrigus (USA, 70, 70), Charles Howell III (USA, 72, 68).