PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Jerry Kelly and Kevin Na headed into the weekend at The Players Championship with another chance at winning the PGA Tour's biggest and richest event.
Thanks to a clutch putt by Tiger Woods rarely seen of late, he made the cut on the number and gets to keep playing.
Na, the 54-hole leader three years ago until he faded under intense scrutiny of serious swing issues, settled down after a wild start for a 3-under 69. He shared the lead with Kelly, a 48-year-old from Wisconsin who has even stronger memories of the TPC Sawgrass.
Kelly had a two-shot lead over Woods in 2001 going into a final round that took two days to complete because of storms. Woods went on to win.
Kelly and Na were at 8-under 136, two shots clear of Rickie Fowler (69), Chris Kirk (68), David Hearn (71) and Branden Grace (67).
Not much is left from all that star power on both ends of the draw at the start of the week.
Rory McIlroy held up his end. He had a 71 and was only four shots back going into the weekend. The other two guys in his group, Masters champion Jordan Spieth and Jason Day of Australia, won't be around for the last 36 holes.
Spieth spent too much time trying to save par and finished with a meaningless bogey for a 72 to miss by three shots. Day started the second round tied with McIlroy and had two 7s on his card within four holes. He closed with a double bogey for an 81.
Phil Mickelson had two 6s and a 7 on his way to a 76 to miss the cut for the third straight year.
Woods, in his first start since he showed a remarkable short-game recovery at the Masters, hovered around the cut line most of the day until he got to the par-5 ninth for his last hole. He choked up for a soft pitching wedge to 10 feet, made the birdie and showed the kind of emotion he once reserved for big shots and big moments. That gave him a 71 for even-par 144, making the cut on the number.
MAURITIUS OPEN
BEL OMBRE, Mauritius (AP) - Spain's Javier Colomo had the first hole-in-one on a par 4 in European, Asian and Sunshine tour history to make the cut in the Mauritius Open.
Colomo holed his tee shot on the 329-yard ninth hole at Heritage Golf Club. He finished with a 2-under 69 to reach 1-under 141.
Denmark's from Thorbjorn Olesen had a 68 to take the second-round lead at 9-under 133.