Ricky Barnes of Stockton made two bogeys down the stretch, but finished with a 2-under-par 69 and was tied with Patrick Reed and two Aussies, Marc Leishman and Oliver Goss, for the lead after two rounds of the Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
Tournament host Tiger Woods, playing for the first time since back surgery on March 31, had his moments but shot 74-75–149 to miss the cut by four strokes. The positive was that he played 36 holes without back pain and will tee it up next in the 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, where he won in 2006.
Barnes, the 2002 U.S. Amateur champion, opened with a 67 and continued the fine play with four birdies in a span of five holes after starting round two on the back nine, before stumbling a bit down the stretch.
The 20-year-old Goss, whose only victory in a professional event came in the 2012 Western Australia Open when he was an amateur, followed an opening 70 with a bogey-free 66 that included four birdies in his first 10 holes.
Leishman, who has won eight times as a pro including the 2012 Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour, also backed up an opening 70 with a bogey-free 66.
Reed, who has won twice this season and three times since last August on the PGA Tour, posted his second 68, leaving short a 24-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have given him the outright lead.
Stuart Appleby of Australia, who has won nine times on the PGA Tour but not since the 2010 Greenbrier Classic, shot 67 and was one shot back in a tie for fifth with Hudson Swafford, who came in with a 68.
Billy Horschel, whose only victory on the circuit came in the 2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, carded a 68 and was two strokes behind in a tie for seventh with George McNeill, who had a 68, and Freddie Jacobson of Sweden, who wound up at 71.
Justin Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, bounced back from an opening 74 with a 65 and was another shot behind in a tie for 11th with Brendan de Jonge of Rhodesia, who finished at 68.
