Green shoots 63, leads John Deere Classic

Silvis, IL (Sports Network) - The John Deere Classic has seen the likes of Nathan Green before. Every year, it seems, somebody make this tournament his first PGA Tour win.
On Friday, Green set off on becoming the latest first-time winner by firing an eight-under 63 to take the second-round lead at TPC Deere Run.
A 32-year-old Australian playing just his second season on the PGA Tour, Green is looking to follow in the footsteps of countrymen Mark Hensby and John Senden, who both made the John Deere Classic their first win in the last three seasons.
Seven of the last 10 champions have been first-timers.
"There's some good vibes there, and I'd love to get my turn at some stage," said Green, who stood at 12-under 130 overall.
He held a one-shot lead over Carl Pettersen and Jason Dufner following a round that included eight birdies and no bogeys. It was his lowest round on the PGA Tour, and first time with the 36-hole lead.
All of this coming on the heels of a three-week break, which Green spent in Australia trying to get his head back into the game following a missed cut at brutal Oakmont for the U.S. Open.
"I just put the feet up and didn't really do much for the whole time," said Green.
On his heels are another winless Nationwide Tour veteran -- Dufner -- and a two-time PGA Tour winner in Pettersson.
Pettersson had seven drives of at least 300 yards Friday and fired a seven- under 64 to take the clubhouse lead at 11-under 131. Dufner shot a five-under 66 and joined him there about 90 minutes later.
With the British Open just a week away, scores of players avoided this event to get some rest before heading to Scotland and Carnoustie. Pettersson is not one of those players.
"I've crossed the pond several times," said the former European Tour player. "It doesn't really affect me that much."
Overnight leader Neal Lancaster followed up his first-round 64 with a three- under 68 Friday and was alone in fourth place at 10-under 132. He hit 12 of 14 fairways in the first round, but just six in the second round.
"I stand no chance if I keep driving it like that," said Lancaster. "I hung in there, that's the main thing."
Green did more than hang in there. And his round could have been even better.
He had six birdies on his first 10 holes, and just barely missed a hole-in-one at the 186-yard third. His ball rolled to the back of the green, and he made par.
Green's round also included several close calls, like at No. 1, where he missed holing out for an eagle by about an inch.
Instead of lamenting the near-misses, Green focused on the shots that shouldn't have gone in, but did. Shots like his eight-foot birdie putt at No. 6, which lipped in instead of lipping out.
"The good breaks outweighed the bad," he said. "I had a few good lip-ins where the ball was dying and sort of spun in. Hopefully the good vibes will keep going on the greens. It's probably as comfortable as I've felt on them all year."
Pettersson began on the back nine and had a four-hole birdie streak from the 14th to get to eight-under. It ended with a bogey at the 18th, and the Swede made the turn at seven-under.
Birdies at the second, third and fifth gave him the early lead at 11-under.
"Conditions were easier than they were yesterday," Pettersen said. "You have to shot low here, so it was nice to get a couple of birdies early. But we've got a long way to go. You have to get to 20-under."
Dufner had the lead alone before stumbling to a bogey at his last hole, the par-four ninth. It was his second bogey in three holes, and just his second birdie of the week so far.
"It's been a pretty good two days," he said.
Duffy Waldorf, Kevin Sutherland, Tim Clark, Bob May and Kenny Perry made up a well-known group of players who shared fifth place at nine-under 133 -- part of a group of 16 players who head to the weekend within five shots of the lead.
The cut fell at two-under 140, with John Daly and the defending champion Senden among those who missed the weekend.