Goosen, who went nearly four years between U.S. victories before winning the 2009 Transitions Championship, also shot a 4-under 66 and is at 7 under -- one shot ahead of Leonard and Mickelson.
Retief Goosen has a one-shot lead midway through the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational after shooting a 66 Friday at Firestone Country Club.Retief Goosen? Check.
Justin Leonard? Check.
Phil Mickelson? Double check.
Peter Hanson? Ah, better run that name by us again.
On a leaderboard full of names familiar to even the most casual fan, Hanson might stump even the most avid.
Yet, there Peter Hanson is, sitting in a tie for fourth place just two shots out of the lead after two rounds in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational on the South Course at Firestone Country Club.
He could become a household name by Sunday, even in households not located in Sweden. Don't confuse him with Denmark's Soren Hansen, who played in the 2008 Ryder Cup and made a run at the U.S. Open title in 2009.
Hanson, a 32-year-old Swede, made it to Akron by being 49th in the World Golf Rankings as of July 26, the cutoff week for tournament entry. The event takes the top 50.
He took advantage by shooting a 4-under 66 during Friday's second round and, coupled with his opening-round 69, is tied for fourth place with Bo Van Pelt and first-round leader Bubba Watson at 5 under, two shots behind the leader, Goosen.
"I've been fairly happy with my game, just haven't scored great," said Hanson, who had three bogeys and seven birdies, including a hole-out from the green-side bunker on the 221-yard 15th hole. "I feel my game is pretty close, so I need to keep going, keep working."
Goosen, who went nearly four years between U.S. victories before winning the 2009 Transitions Championship, also shot a 4-under 66 and is at 7 under -- one shot ahead of Leonard and Mickelson.
The two-time U.S. Open winner Goosen, who began play on the back nine, said he turned his round in the right direction on the 471-yard fourth hole, statistically the toughest on the course.
A good drive left him with 196 yards to the hole and a clump of mud on his ball. He second shot with a 6-iron went about 25 yards to the left of the green, and he was looking at a bogey or worse. Instead, he chipped in for birdie.
"You're looking at maybe making bogey there, and chipping in sort of turned my round around and kept it going," he said. He added another birdie on the 482-yard eighth by rolling in an eight-foot putt.
"I've not done so well around this course in the past, so it's nice to play well for two rounds and see how I can do on the weekend," said Goosen, whose best finish at Firestone was a tie for fourth in 2008.
Leonard, whose best finish at the tournament was a tie for second in 2000, has not won since 2008. The 1997 British Open winner knocked two shots off his opening 68, saving par on the ninth and 16th holes by escaping fairway bunkers. He hit the fairway bunker on the ninth but made a 10-footer for par. On the "Monster" 16th, he was forced to chip out of the fairway bunker and lay up with a 5-iron. He made a 12-footer.
Watson, making his first appearance at Firestone, also played the back nine first. The left-hander, who led with an opening 64, played the first nine even, but an errant drive on the third hole -- which ended up in the second fairway -- led to a double bogey and a 71.
Mickelson, seeking his first win at Firestone since 1996, began the day tied for second after an opening 66. He birdied three of the first six holes to make the turn at 6 under. He made a double bogey on the 14th when his drive found the 13th fairway, and he was only able to advance the ball 63 yards with his second.
Phil Mickelson pumps his fist after sinking a birdie putt on the 16th hole at Firestone Country Club. He is one shot out of the lead after shooting a 68 Friday.Then came the Mickelson magic. He made a 21-foot putt for birdie on the 221-yard 15th and dropped in a 13-footer on the 16th for another birdie. He also lucked out when he hit a spectator on the 17th, which led to a par.