(CNN) -- American Steve Stricker recorded the lowest 36-hole score at the John Deere Classic, Friday to lead by one stroke from compatriot Paul Goydos at the TPC Deere Run course in Silvis, Illinois.
Defending champion Stricker shot a second round six-under par 66 to post 16-under par two-round total of 126.
Goydos followed his extraordinary opening round of 59 -- only the fourth time in PGA Tour history that a player has scored so low -- with a three-under par round of 68, posting five birdies but also two bogeys.
"Reality kicked in today," Goydos said, AFP reported.
"Yesterday was one of the greatest putting rounds maybe of all time and today was not," Goydos said, reported PGATour.com.
"But that's not -- I think they call it the Sports Illustrated jinx. It's just a reversion to the norm. Things tend to want to work their way to the center," the American added, PGATour.com reported.
Goydos equaled the old 36-hole record set by the South African David Frost in 2000 finishing on 127.
Stricker, who went one shot better, was pleased with his day's work.
"It's always tough to follow up a good round with another good round and for whatever reason, I thought I did a pretty good job of that today," Stricker said, AFP reported.
Five shots back of Stricker on 11-under par are Jeff Maggert, George McNeill and Australia's Matt Jones.
Jones was well placed to secure third place outright heading into the closing holes but bogeys at the 17th and 18th holes meant he had to settle for a tie for third.
South African Brendon de Jonge and Australian, Aaron Baddeley are a shot further back on 10-under par.
The weekend promises more low scoring and Maggert thinks that he's still in the hunt, despite being five shots behind Stricker.
"I've got to figure somewhere around 25 under is probably going to win. So I've got to keep playing hard to try to shoot six, seven-under on the weekend," Maggert said, PGATour.com reported.
Thunderstorms disrupt round two at Women's U.S. Open.
Heavy rainfall disrupted the second round of the U.S. Women's Open at the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania on Friday.
A series of thunderstorms began midway through the afternoon as 100 of the 156-strong field were either still out on the course or yet to start their rounds.
Leader, Sweden's Sophie Gustafson birdied the first hole of her second round but was forced off course by the thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, world number one American Cristie Kerr did manage to complete her second round finishing the day with a par round of 71 leaving her one-over for the tournament.
Kerr's score leaves her in a tie for second place on a score of 143 with six others including South Korean's Song-Hee Kim and Jeong-Eun Lee.
American Brittany Lang, who led after a two-under par first round 69, but slipped back into a tie of second with a three-over par round 74 on Friday.
Despite Friday's postponement, Mike Davis from the USGA is confident that the weather will improve allowing for the conclusion of the event on Sunday, as scheduled.
"We had a very dry course, and it can take a lot of rain," said the USGA's Mike Davis, AFP reported.
A busy Saturday will start at 7.30 am local time, and the leaders aren't expected to start their third rounds until 5.30pm local time completing them early Sunday.
