Players Championship 2011 Leaderboard: David Toms Leads After Round 2, Phil Mickelson Stumbles

On Friday evening, Round 2 of the 2011 Players Championship has concluded, and David Toms sits alone atop the leaderboard at TPC Sawgrass. Nick Watney remains within a stroke of the lead. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson’s terrific start to the day was largely erased by disappointing play on his final nine.

After posting a 66 in Round 1, Toms shot a 4-under 68 in Round 2. He committed a pair of bogeys, but managed to sandwich them in between birdies to secure a one-stroke lead halfway through the tournament.. Toms, who won the 2001 PGA Championship, is looking for his 13th career PGA Tour win and his first since January of 2006. Toms has plenty of competition close behind him, however; in total, six golfers are within two strokes of him.

Phil Mickelson’s second round was a disappointing one. He started on the back nine and was 5-under through his first nine, having scored an eagle on the 16th. He regressed from there, though, scoring bogeys on the third, sixth, seventh, and ninth holes to end up at only 1-under for the day. Mickelson now stands at 2-under for the tournament, a full eight strokes behind the lead.

Here is how the top of the leaderboard looks entering Round 3’s play:

1. David Toms (-10)
2. Nick Watney (-9)
T3. Graeme McDowell (-8)
T3. Steve Stricker
T3. Luke Donald
T3. Rory Sabbatini
T3. Lucas Glover
T8. Hunter Mahan (-7)
T8. Aaron Baddeley
T8. J.B. Holmes