British Open 2012 Leaderboard: Where Top Contenders Stand at Royal Lytham

American Brandt Snedeker is setting a blistering pace at the 2012 British Open from Royal Lytham & St. Annes through the first two rounds.

Snedeker, who leads comfortably across the pond after shooting a record low through the first two rounds, has yet to bogey a single hole through the first half of the Open Championship, and joins fellow US natives Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson and Steve Stricker in the top 10 of the leaderboard.

Woods' methodical start to the tournament is sure to keep casual golf fans interested well into the weekend, leading up to Sunday's dramatic final round. 

2012 British Open Top 10 Leaderboard as of 10:45 p.m. ET Friday (Courtesy of TheOpen.com):

Pos.	Player	Score	Thru
1	Brandt Snedeker	-10	F
2	Adam Scott	-6	7
3	Paul Lawrie	-5	8
T4	Zach Johnson	-4	5
T4	Graeme McDowell	-4	4
T6	James Morrison	-3	1
T6	Ernie Els	-3	5
T6	Tiger Woods	-3	3
T9	Steve Stricker	-2	F
T9	Bubba Watson	-2	5

*Click Here for an Updated Leaderboard

Trio of Past Champs In Prime Position

There are a handful of past British Open champions in the running to win the Claret Jug in 2012, among them Tiger Woods, who has won three times at the Open Championship in his career, his last victory coming at Royal Liverpool in 2006.

Meanwhile, Paul Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champ at Carnoustie, is cruising at Royal Lytham, taking huge advantage of the many par-four birdie opportunities he has had. The Scottish golfer has looked cool and calm so far, the true marking of a previous champion.

Ernie Els, the 2002 champion, is also making a move toward the lead before weekend play begins. Els won in a playoff at Muirfield a decade ago, and is looking to join the elite list of golfers who have won at least twice at the Open Championship.

Although Brandt Snedeker and Adam Scott look sharp early on at the Open Championship in 2012, we simply cannot discredit the championship experience that Woods, Els and Lawrie will have on their side as the tournament wears on.

Look for one of the aforementioned past champions to emerge victorious at this summer's British Open, as the pressure builds with every round. 

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