Jason Dufner leads by five at Memorial with 36-hole record as Dustin Johnson misses cut
American cards second successive seven-under-par 65 at Muirfield Village to lead from compatriot Daniel Summerhays
Jason Dufner threatened to run away with the Memorial tournament after carding a second successive seven-under-par 65 to surge to a five-shot lead after the second round.
Buoyed by an eagle at the par-four 18th, his ninth hole, where his six-iron from 176 yards rolled to the back fringe before reversing direction back down the hill into the cup, Dufner posted a tournament record-low 36-hole total of 14-under-par under sunny skies at Muirfield Village.
Fellow American Daniel Summerhays (69) bogeyed the last but still finished the day in second place on nine-under, with compatriot Rickie Fowler (66) another shot behind.
World number one Dustin Johnson followed up his opening 78 with a 74 and missed the cut two weeks before defending his US Open title at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.
“Did everything pretty well,” Dufner told Golf Channel. “I would have like to have hit a couple more fairways, but hit my irons when I was in the fairways pretty good. I made some nice pars and rolled in some putts.”
Dufner, whose four PGA Tour victories include a major at the 2013 PGA Championship, has long enjoyed a reputation as a premier ball-striker whose putting does not always match his long game.