Dufner surges up Quail Hollow leaderboard

WASHINGTON: Jason Dufner fired seven birdies and an eagle in an eight-under par 63 on Friday to put himself in unfamiliar territory atop the Wells Fargo Championship leaderboard.

“It has been a while since I’ve been in the lead or competing for a tournament,” said Dufner, a former top-10 player and winner of the 2013 PGA Championship who has slumped to 230th in the world rankings.

“But I know what that feels like. I’m just going with it, you know?”

Dufner, 42, set an early target in the second round at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, building an 11-under total of 131 that put him one stroke in front of Joel Dahmen and Max Homa.

Dahmen, who shared the overnight lead with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, carded his second straight 66 while Homa had eight birdies in his 63 to reach 10-under 132.

McIlroy, meanwhile, carded a 70 for 136 and shared fourth place with American Patrick Reed, who carded a 69.

It was a further stroke back to England’s Justin Rose, Ireland’s Seamus Power, Australian Jason Day and American Pat Perez.

Dufner’s round matched the lowest of his career.

The last time he posted a 63 it was in the 2013 PGA Championship, where he went on to win his lone major title to date.

He birdied two of his first three holes and bounced back from a bogey at the fourth with an eagle at the par-five seventh.