Defending champ Mahan moves up, Austin is out

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On Friday, the Travelers Championship joined the FBR Open and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic as the only three tournaments on the 2008 PGA TOUR schedule thus far with a cut that fell below par.

In all, 72 players made the 36-hole cut at TPC River Highlands, which came at 3-under-par 137.

POSITIVE MOVERS

Stewart Cink -- thanks to a 6-under 64 on Friday, Cink moved to 10 under and will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at TPC River Highlands. The event winner in 1997 has six top 10s in 2008, but hasn't won on TOUR since 2004. That could change this weekend.

Hunter Mahan -- the 2007 Travelers Championship winner has the chance to become just the second player in tournament history to successfully defend his title. Mahan used a tournment-low 7-under 63 on Friday to get to 9 under, within one shot of leader Stewart Cink. He moved from a tie for 52nd to a tie for second.

Tommy Armour III -- his solid play continues. Armour shot a 6-under 64 on Friday to get to 7-under total and soared from a tie for 78th to a tie for eighth.

NEGATIVE MOVERS

Johnson Wagner -- the Shell Houston Open winner was one of four players tied for the lead after a 6-under 64 on Thursday. With a 1-over 71 on Friday, he dropped from a tie for the lead to a tie for 27th.

Billy Mayfair -- he had a 4-under 66 in the first round and was tied for 12th. After an even-par 70 on Friday, he dropped into a tie for 38th.

Peter Karmis -- after he opened the tournament with a 5-under 65 on Thursday and was just one off the lead, Karmis shot an even-par 70 on Friday and dropped into a tie for 27th.

ON THE NUMBER

Justin Rose -- after a 5-under 65 on Thursday, the Englishman backed up significantly at the birdie-friendly TPC Highlands on Friday. Rose's second round of 2-over 72 dropped him from a tie for fifth to a tie for 54th to make the cut on the number.

Steve Lowery -- the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am winner was tied for the lead after a 6-under 64 in round one. Like Rose, the second round was a different story for Lowery. He shot a 3-over 73 and dropped into that tie for 54th and made the cut on the number.

Notah Begay III -- a former winner at the Travelers Championship, Begay shot a 1-over 71 on Friday to make the cut on the number at 3 under.

NOTABLE MISSED CUTS

Brett Quigley -- the Rhode Islander shot a 2-over 72 on Friday and finished at 1 under total to miss the cut by two shots. No player ever wants to miss the cut, but especially a New Englander, seeing as the Travelers Championship is one of just two tournaments in the region, but the only one that isn't a Playoff event.

Woody Austin -- the fan-favorite couldn't get anything going at the Travelers Championship. Maybe it was a U.S. Open hangover, but Aquaman shot matching rounds of 1-over 71 to miss out on the weekend by five shots.

J.B. Holmes -- the long-hitting third-year player who won the FBR Open for the second time in his career early in the season, couldn't get things together at TPC River Highlands. With two over-par rounds, Holmes missed the cut at 5 over.