British Open Results 2012: Most Impressive Day 2 Outings

It's been an interesting start at the 2012 British Open, the first two days ripe with unexpected story lines.

There's surprise leaders at the top of the board, a shockingly low average score, and there was even a John Daly sighting, to boot!

Daly might have fizzled out to one shot below the projected cut line (plus two), but some guys have stepped up their performance on Friday, setting themselves up for a historic weekend.

In England's last major event before the Olympics, the crowd is sure to be amped for the British competitors at the top of the field, but some pesky Americans have looked like spoilers through two rounds.

Here are the five most impressive players from Friday's action.

Brandt Snedeker (USA)

Snedeker hijacked the crowd in Lancashire this morning, cementing his place atop the leaderboard with a fusillade of birdies.

He birdied five out of seven holes between numbers six and 12, which, when combined with his birdie on the first and lack of bogeys, gave him a pristine six-under on the round.

Adam Scott and Tiger Woods are two heavy hitters on his tail, but he's a good bet to be playing in the final group on Saturday.

Adam Scott (AUS)

It would have been easy for Scott to get shell-shocked in the wake of Snedeker's early domination, but he was unfazed.

The steady Australian started with a bogey on three, but rebounded with aplomb, scoring three birdies between numbers seven and 11. From there he leveled out for a while, saving pars before a clutch birdie on 18.

Finishing three under on the day, Scott is augmented his historic first round with an impressive second. He's sitting in the clubhouse at a cool nine-under, one shot behind Snedeker, and within easy striking distance of a major championship.

Tiger Woods (USA)

Of course, Snedeker and Scott's performance could be ultimately moot should Tiger play like the Tiger of old this weekend.

So far, so good for the three-time Open champion, who's searching for his first British title since 2006.

Tiger doesn't need to blow the competition away to impress any more; in the post-Elin years, consistency will suffice. And it doesn't get much more brilliantly consistent than Tiger's first two rounds; he shot three-under both times.

Things had the potential to implode after a bogey on the par five 11th, but Tiger salvaged a great round with birdies on 16 and 18. 

It doesn't resonate with the same inevitable balefulness as it did five years ago, but Tiger heading into the weekend within striking distance is still enough to make the rest of the field shiver.

Simon Dyson (ENG)

It's not quite Andy Murray at Wimbledon, but Simon Dyson winning the Open Championship would surely invigorate the British before the Olympics kick off.

The anonymous bloke from York, England is 48th in the world golf rankings, but he's played like a top contender on Friday. 

He hung around to salvage a plus-one in the first round, but came roaring back with a three-under in the second, locking him in as minus-one for the tournament.

He'll surely have the crowd on his side heading into the weekend.

Luke Donald (ENG)

Donald has spent many a week atop of the world golfing rankings, a fact that would surprise the hordes of fans who only watch the major tournaments.

The sharp-shooting Englishman has been an afterthought in the big tournaments the past few times he's gotten a chance, seeming to shrink from the pressure of the big stage.

But in Lancashire this weekend, he seems poised to make his first serious run at a major championship.

Donald shot a two-under on Friday after a steady even par in round one, setting himself up nicely for the weekend.

He's eight shots behind Snedeker, but figuring that Brandt will regress to the mean once the pressure hits him (which almost always happens to surprise leaders in these tournament), Donald should have a shot to catch him.