<p>Brandt Snedeker, who missed the cut in his three previous British Opens, spreadeagled the field with a sizzling six-under-par 64 to surge five shots clear midway through Friday’s second round. <br /><br /></p>.<p>While everyone else seemed stuck in reverse gear on a calm day at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the 31-year-old American registered a record-equalling 36-hole total of 130. <br /><br />Snedeker was five strokes ahead of 1999 winner Paul Lawrie of Britain and overnight leader Adam Scott of Australia who were both late starters and still on the front nine. <br /><br />Former world number one Tiger Woods was three under after three holes but his long-time rival Phil Mickelson slumped to a 78 for 151, missing the cut and continuing his poor Open record. <br /><br />World number two Rory McIlroy also struggled, managing only two birdies in a 75 but he is likely to be around at the weekend after finishing on 142, two over par. <br /><br />Top-ranked Luke Donald (68) notched four birdies in a magical five-hole burst from the fourth as he remained on the fringes of contention on two-under 138. Snedeker, who won the Farmers Insurance Open in California in January, reaped a rich harvest of birdies after ramming in a confidence-boosting 25-footer at the par-three first. <br /><br />With most of his rivals toiling as light winds changed direction and organisers placed the flags in awkward spots on faster greens, Snedeker accelerated clear. <br /><br />The blond American struck laser-guided approach shots at the sixth, seventh and ninth holes to set up three more birdie opportunities he gratefully devoured as he raced to the turn in 30 -- four under par. <br /><br />Snedeker, who has never won a major and missed the cut at the 2008, 2009 and 2011 Opens, made further inroads at the 11th and 12th before showing the touch of a master to get down in two from thick greenside rough at the 15th. <br /><br />The American, who had a hole-in-one at the par-four 16th in practice on Wednesday, signed off with three more regulation figures to tie triple Open champion Nick Faldo’s 36-hole aggregate of 130 at Muirfield in 1992. <br /><br /></p>
<p>Brandt Snedeker, who missed the cut in his three previous British Opens, spreadeagled the field with a sizzling six-under-par 64 to surge five shots clear midway through Friday’s second round. <br /><br /></p>.<p>While everyone else seemed stuck in reverse gear on a calm day at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the 31-year-old American registered a record-equalling 36-hole total of 130. <br /><br />Snedeker was five strokes ahead of 1999 winner Paul Lawrie of Britain and overnight leader Adam Scott of Australia who were both late starters and still on the front nine. <br /><br />Former world number one Tiger Woods was three under after three holes but his long-time rival Phil Mickelson slumped to a 78 for 151, missing the cut and continuing his poor Open record. <br /><br />World number two Rory McIlroy also struggled, managing only two birdies in a 75 but he is likely to be around at the weekend after finishing on 142, two over par. <br /><br />Top-ranked Luke Donald (68) notched four birdies in a magical five-hole burst from the fourth as he remained on the fringes of contention on two-under 138. Snedeker, who won the Farmers Insurance Open in California in January, reaped a rich harvest of birdies after ramming in a confidence-boosting 25-footer at the par-three first. <br /><br />With most of his rivals toiling as light winds changed direction and organisers placed the flags in awkward spots on faster greens, Snedeker accelerated clear. <br /><br />The blond American struck laser-guided approach shots at the sixth, seventh and ninth holes to set up three more birdie opportunities he gratefully devoured as he raced to the turn in 30 -- four under par. <br /><br />Snedeker, who has never won a major and missed the cut at the 2008, 2009 and 2011 Opens, made further inroads at the 11th and 12th before showing the touch of a master to get down in two from thick greenside rough at the 15th. <br /><br />The American, who had a hole-in-one at the par-four 16th in practice on Wednesday, signed off with three more regulation figures to tie triple Open champion Nick Faldo’s 36-hole aggregate of 130 at Muirfield in 1992. <br /><br /></p>