Round 2, St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx

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Jun. 12, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM staff

The first groups are ready to tee off in today's second round of the St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx. Here's how it sets up:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
7:27 am ET No. 1		Brian Gay, Woody Austin, Charles Howell III Gay's opening-round 64 came during the toughest part of the day. On Friday, we'll know quickly whether he holds the lead.
1:27 p.m. ET No. 1		Phil Mickelson, Cameron Beckman, Padraig Harrington Mickelson turned a 66 into a 68 with a double bogey, but who cares? He's having fun and is poised to make a move.
8 a.m. ET No. 10		Rich Beem, Jason Day, Bill Haas Beem looked awfully sharp (16 greens hit) until the putter came out (30 putts). If he gets that going, watch out.

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR Network on-site correspondent Bob Stevens previews Friday's second round:

Keep an eye on a player in the very first group this morning who is out from under the home-course or home-state stamp that most of us consider an advantage. Texan Rich Beem told me after his opening 66 that he put too much pressure on himself to make birdies during the Texas Swing, missing the cut in all three May events. He'd pledged money for every birdie to help injured Dallas Cowboys scout Rich Behm (pronounced the same as the golfer). This week, Beem visited the St. Jude Children's Hospital before playing, and with the kids' words of encouragement -- and no home-state pressure -- Beem fired his best round since his only top-10 finish of 2009, which came at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun.

Thursday's forecast

Scattered t-storms
Temp: 89 high/73 low
40 percent chance of storms. Light winds.

Phil Mickelson loves to talk and told me that the camaraderie with Padraig Harrington and Cameron Beckman helped him through his first round back on TOUR since his wife Amy's breast cancer diagnosis. It was a five-hour escape for Mickelson, chatting up his fellow competitors and their caddies during his opening 68 that actually featured more fairways and greens hit than his season averages. Now that he's got some of the uncertainty out of the way, watch for Phil to be in attack mode Friday.

Chris Stroud, who has one of the later tee times Friday (2:30 p.m. ET) may have found the secret formula for turning his game around. His wife Tiffany has been icing his feet at night, and he opened with a 4-under-par 66. I asked him how he -- or any husband -- can get that kind of treatment, and he responded that he lets her shop all day while he plays, something that might be an expensive option for most of us. Chris will likely pay even more when Tiffany, who's nearly five months pregnant, expects reciprocal treatment very, very soon.

Stat of the day

Round 1 leader Gay is the PGA TOUR's ironman, as he is playing in his 307th PGA TOUR event since the start of 2000, the most of any player on TOUR during that period.

Thus far at TPC Southwind

Round	Leader	Low round (par 70)	Key links
	Brian Gay (-6)	64: Brian Gay	Daily Wrap-Up \| Live Report Helen Ross column \| Notebook

The Film Room

	PGA TOUR Today Win McMurry updates action from the first round of the 2009 St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx and previews what to watch for in the second round. Watch it
	Round 1 highlights Brian Gay shot a 6-under 64 and has the lead after the opening round of the 2009 St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx. Watch it
	Shot of the Day Bob Estes drains it from just over 52 feet for eagle on the par-5 16th during the first round. Watch it