ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. -- Sam Saunders followed his opening 12-under 59 with a 66 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead into the weekend in the Web.com Tour Championship.
Arnold Palmer's grandson, Saunders closed with a double-bogey on his home Atlantic Beach Country Club course a day after shooting the seventh sub-60 round in Web.com Tour history.
Argentina's Julian Etulain was second at 15 under after a 63.
Saunders is trying to regain his PGA Tour card in the four-event Web.com Tour Finals after finishing 129th in the FedEx Cup standings. He entered the week 24th in the race for 25 PGA Tour cards with $27,900 -- the winner Sunday will get $180,000 -- in the first three events.
Etulain was 46th in the money chase with $11,348 after finishing 161st in the FedEx Cup standings.
Bronson Burgoon (63), Jonathan Byrd (65) and Roberto Castro (64) were four strokes back at 13 under. Steve Wheatcroft, like Saunders an Atlantic Beach member, had a 68 to top the group at 12 under.
Burgoon, in the series field on a special medical extension, entered the week 15th with $42,812 -- enough to secure a card. Byrd and Castro need strong finishes to regain their cards. Castro, 172nd in the FedEx Cup, is 54th at $8,526. Byrd, 170th in FedEx Cup, is 66th at $5,480.
Wheatcroft is 23rd with $29,025 after finishing 179th in the FedEx Cup standings.
Hunter Mahan missed the cut by a stroke with rounds of 70 and 68, costing the six-time PGA Tour winner a chance to regain his card in the series. He entered the week 33rd with $21,320 after finishing 182nd in the FedEx Cup standings.
