TWO DAYS GONE .. AND ONLY 32 PLAYERS HAVE COMPLETED 36 HOLES

• BEN CRANE LEADS BY SIX IN 

  WEATHER-DELAYED ST JUDE 

  CLASSIC

  • FROM THE US PGA TOUR
    By Sean Martin, PGATOUR.COM
• Ben Crane holds a big lead entering the weekend at the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Ben Crane has wondered if, and when, he would get his game back. He’s been in a prolonged slump this season because of swing changes necessitated by back pain.
He’s been the best player during the first two days of the FedEx St. Jude Classic, though, holding a six-shot lead in the weather-delayed event. He followed his first-round 63 with a 65 to sit at 12-under 128. 
His closest pursuers – Carl Pettersson and Jason Bohn – have one and two holes remaining, respectively, in their second rounds.
“I certainly didn't expect to be here," said Crane, who’s 150th in the FedExCup. "If someone would have told me a couple days ago I'd be standing in front of a bunch of cameras, I would have asked, 'What did I do?'
“It’s been a really, really hard year. …You start wondering, ‘Am I going to get it back?’ ”
His first bogey of the week didn’t come until his 36th hole. He’s second in the field in strokes gained-putting, averaging 4.186 strokes gained per round. He’s hit 23 of 36 greens in regulation. He started Friday’s round by holing a 44-foot birdie putt.
“I love the extra element of grain, how it accentuates, most of the time, the break,” Crane said about Bermudagrass, which he said is his favorite surface to putt on.
Crane's only top-10 in 2013-14 came at the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation, but he had to receive on-course treatment during the tournament because of his back pain. That event convinced him that a swing change had to be made.
Crane, a four-time TOUR winner, last won at the 2011 McGladrey Classic. That victory also came during a trying year.
"This feels very similar to McGladrey, just having similar conversations with God and my wife and my caddie, ... knowing that I'm OK without golf and that this is fun and I love it, but I don't want to love it too much," he said. "(Remembering) it's not who I am is big for me. But I love doing this. It's fun to be nervous. It's fun to be in the competition and compete."
RELATED CONTENT: Mickelson's patience | Watch: Fowler's cameo | TOUR Report | Photo gallery | FedExCup projections

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LIGHTNING CRASHES: Weather continues to be a factor at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Many players had to complete their first round Friday morning after Thursday’s 3 1/2-hour delay. Play was suspended for the first time Friday at 1:03 p.m. Play resumed at 2 p.m., but it was suspended 15 minutes later. Players never returned to the course. Play was officially called at 4:50 p.m. Only 32 players have completed two rounds.

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FOR THE LOVE: Davis Love III turned 50 on April 13. That hasn’t stopped him from contending at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Love shot 65-70 and has the second-lowest score among players who have completed 36 holes. Love and Billy Horschel were both at 5 under par.
Love has yet to compete on the Champions Tour. He’s made 11 of 15 cuts this season on the PGA TOUR, but also has yet to post a top-25 finish.
He’s finished no worse than 24th in his past five starts at this event, posting three top-10s in that span. He finished third here in 2012 and 18th last year.
He made bogey on two of his final three holes Friday to shoot 70.
“There were a lot of holes I felt like I was the best player in the field and a lot of holes I felt like I ought to be on the Champions Tour,” Love said. “I’m making cuts and I want to continue to play out here with these guys for a little longer.”
Russell Knox is one of the few players who has completed 36 holes - and it does not look as if he is going to make the cut, which is forecast to be level par.
Knox has shot 72-70 for 142.
Other two-round totals completed include:
128 Ben Crane (USA) 63 65
137 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 69 68, Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 67 70

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