Stricker chasing Barclays cash

Stricker: Ryder Cup hopeful

Second round leaderboard:
(US unless stated)
S Stricker -10
H Mahan -7
A Cabrera (Arg) -6
D Hart -6
K Perry -6

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Steve Stricker fired a round-of-the-day 64 to grab a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of The Barclays at the Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey.

The defending champion, who won the inaugural FedEx Cup play-off opener in 2007 at Westchester, picked up five birdies and an eagle to reach 10-under par, three clear of first round leader Hunter Mahan.

"It is a good course. You've got to do a lot of good things," said Stricker, who narrowly missed out on an automatic Ryder Cup spot, and will be hoping to impress captain Paul Azinger ahead of his wild card picks. "The greens are tough, but I didn't think the scoring was going to be this low.

"And when Hunter goes out and shoots that nine-under round yesterday, it shows you that it is capable and it is out there."

Mahan failed to build on his opening 62, recording five bogeys in a disappointing 73, but still holds second place ahead of Dudley Hart, Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry.

A four-under-par 67 saw Sergio Garcia move into a challenging position five shots off the lead, joining a group of three other players including Ryder Cup hopeful Paul Casey.

Tetchy

A victory this week is unlikely to be enough for Casey to make the European team through qualification, but further evidence that his game is in good order will be music to the ears of captain Nick Faldo, who will find it difficult not to pick the two-time Cup winner.

However, a bogey-bogey finish left the Englishman tetchy, revealing: "The golf course, certainly in the last nine holes, I felt was very crispy, greens especially.

"The sixth green was toasty. I mean, it's glazed and very difficult to get the ball rolling consistently on those greens.

"But it's the same for everybody. I found the golf course yesterday morning was perfect and Steve Stricker has obviously found the same sort of set-up.

"The afternoon is a different kettle of fish. It's tricky."

Another Ryder Cup hopeful bidding to play his way into Faldo's team is Ian Poulter, but the Englishman suffered a blow to his hopes of a second appearance after missing the cut by two shots.

A three over par total was not good enough to see him through to the weekend, a similar comment applying to dual Major winner Padraig Harrington, who may be a lot more thankful for the time off.