Rookie Murray grabs PGA Mississippi lead ahead of Owen, Power

US PGA Tour rookie Grayson Murray birdied his final hole to take a two-shot lead over Ireland’s Seamus Power and England’s Greg Owen after two rounds of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi.
Murray’s closing birdie on Friday at the Country Club of Jackson’s ninth hole — where he stuck his approach shot within three feet — was his eighth of the day in a seven-under 65 that gave him a 12-under total of 132.
Owen nabbed six birdies in his five-under 67 for 134 while Power followed up a first-round 65 with a three-under 69 that included four birdies.
Owen, making his 250th US PGA Tour start this week, is in search of his first title. His best finish was a solo second at the 2006 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Former US Open champion Lucas Glover carded a 69 to head a group on 135 that also included Canada’s Graham DeLaet (69) and Americans Brandon Hagy (68) and Trey Mullinax (70).
The tournament played opposite the elite WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai features few of golf’s marquee names. American Chris Kirk, at 74th in the world, is the highest-ranked player in the field.
English veteran Ian Poulter, playing just his second tournament since a foot injury sidelined him for almost five months, missed the cut.
Poulter posted a two-under 70 on Thursday, and endured a tough back nine that included four bogeys on Friday en route to a 75 that left him one-over for the tournament.
First-round leader Kevin Streelman followed up his sparkling 63 of Thursday with a 73 that left him four off the pace.
He was in a group on 136 that also included Japan’s Hiroshi Iwata, Canadian Nick Taylor, Argentina’s Andres Romero, American Dicky Pride and American Cody Gribble — who climbed up the leaderboard with an impressive 63 of his own.