Sabbatini alone on top at Firestone

Akron, OH (Sports Network) - Rory Sabbatini managed his second consecutive three-under 67 on Friday and moved into the lead after two rounds of the WGC- Bridgestone Invitational.
He is in at six-under 134 on the South Course at Firestone Country Club, two shots better than reigning Masters champion Zach Johnson, who fired a 65 on Friday.
It was at the Wachovia Championship this year that Sabbatini made a big deal about wanting to play with Tiger Woods in the final round. On that Sunday, Woods clocked him en route to victory and this week could see this rivalry renewed.
Woods, a five-time winner of this event, posted an even-par 70 on Friday and is tied for third place at minus-two.
"The course is playing a little tough out there," said Woods. "It was quite a challenge. I hit the ball decent today, I struggled getting the pace. It was hard to read the putts."
Woods bogeyed his first hole, but got that stroke right back with a birdie at No. 2. He bogeyed the sixth, but once again, reclaimed the lost shot quickly with a birdie at eight.
He parred out from there and did not give himself many great looks at birdie.
"I didn't hit it close," said Woods.
Scott Verplank shot a two-under 68 and Kenny Perry managed a one-under 69 to join Woods in third place at two-under-par 138.
So far it has been Sabbatini who has controlled his game best at Firestone. With demanding rough and hot, humid conditions, this tournament is resembling a U.S. Open and Sabbatini is handling it.

"The way I look at it is I'd take even money right now shooting even-par on the weekend," said Sabbatini. "The course is only going to get tougher. We've been very fortunate that we really haven't had any wind. If there's wind on this golf course, it's going to become almost impossible to play."

Sabbatini, an overnight co-leader, wasted little time in breaking into red figures on Friday. He knocked a nine-iron to 15 feet at the first to set up birdie, then birdied the par-three fifth when his six-iron stopped 12 feet from the hole.

He dropped a shot at the sixth after his drive landed in the right rough. His second came up short of the putting surface, but he only chipped to 12 feet. Sabbatini missed the par save, but parred his next seven holes.

At the 14th, Sabbatini's three-wood drive rolled into the rough. His second missed the green, and like the sixth, his 12-footer for par stayed above ground.

He was back to three-under par for the championship, but caught fire late on the back nine.

Sabbatini played a five-iron to 20 feet at the par-three 15th and converted the birdie try. He missed the fairway at 16 and laid up in the fairway. The decision paid off for Sabbatini as he hit a sand-wedge to 15 feet and made the putt.

The South African polished off his third birdie in a row at 17. His eight-iron approach stopped 10 feet from the stick and this year's winner at Colonial sank the birdie putt to reach six-under par.

"I didn't quite hit the ball as well as I did yesterday," acknowledged Sabbatini. "I hit a couple more drives today in that thick hay they call rough out there. It was just a little more of a grind today, a little more work. I think the positive thing I can take out of it is that I did battle out there today and came out on top."

Johnson began on the back nine Friday and tallied three birdies and a bogey. He added three more birdies on his second nine at Firestone to get into sole possession of second.

"Today obviously my score card showed that I played solid," said the reigning Masters champion. "I hit a lot of fairways. That's what it came down to, and my putter started to work."

Davis Love III also fired a 65 on Friday and is tied for sixth place with Lee Westwood (71) and Chris DiMarco (70). The group came in at one-under-par 139.

Paul Casey and Hunter Mahan shared the first-round lead with Sabbatini and both shot rounds of three-over 73. They are tied for ninth with Justin Leonard (67), John Senden (69), Peter Lonard (70) and Mark Calcavecchia (72) at even- par 140.

Phil Mickelson's woes continued on Friday. He has missed the cut in the last two major championships and shot a two-over 72 in round two. Mickelson is tied for 41st at plus-six.

"Obviously I didn't score well, six-over par, but I'm not displeased with the way I'm playing," he said.