Lead over Spieth at Liberty National
said. “I think I look at it from a daily perspective of,Y`eah, I got a nice break there after one that didn't go my way.' Playing those two holes with 1 under where I was at was stealing a stroke or two.” He could use all the help. Spieth is at No. 69 in the FedEx Cup, one year after he failed to reach the Tour Championship for the first time. Going into the PGA Tour's postseason, he needed to play well to at least be sure he was among the top 70 to reach the BMW Championship at Medinah next week.
Tiger Woods might not make it to Medinah, though it has nothing to do with his position in the FedEx Cup. He withdrew from the second round with what he described as a mild strain of the oblique, which Woods said led to pain and stiffness during his opening round of 75.
He said he sought treatment Friday morning and was not able to keep going. He was hopeful of playing next week at the Chicago-area course where he twice won the PGA Championship in younger, healthier times.
Ancer is at No. 67, so his bogey-free round of 65 was helpful. Ancer birdied all of the par 5s at Liberty National, which remained soft from more overnight rain.
“It was definitely very different from yesterday,” Ancer said of an opening round that featured a hole-out from 104 yards for eagle, a 60-foot chipin and two bogeys. “Today was very steady — some good ballstriking and the ball started to fall in on the back nine.”
Spieth was at 11-under 131, the same score he had through two rounds at the Wyndham Championship last week when everything went wrong in a 77 that took him from a chance to win to a Sunday with no tee time.
“The important thing for me is not to get ahead of myself,” Spieth said. “Historically, I'm a very consistent player. I've lost a bit of that. I still have the firepower but that consistency is what I'm trying to get back, and there's certainly going to be times where I'm out of position over the weekend. It's about limiting mistakes. One bogey over 36 holes is somewhat unrealistic week to week. But if I can hold it close to that for the next 36, again, that firepower is still there. And it would certainly shoot my confidence up.”
Andrew Putnam also had a 64 and was at 9-under 133, along with Justin Rose (68). Justin Thomas (68) was in the group of players who were at 7-under 135.