FedEx St. Jude Classic 2016: Friday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

Daniel Berger's rise to prominence continued Friday at the 2016 FedEx St. Jude Classic, as the 23-year-old holds the 36-hole lead at nine under par.

This has been a breakout season for Berger, who finished 10th at the Masters in April. He's still searching for his first victory on the PGA Tour, but things are working out well for him in a crowded field at TPC Southwind.

Here's the leaderboard halfway through the FedEx St. Jude Classic:

Berger had the round of the day, holding the lead when he walked off the course at nine under par thanks to a dazzling 64. He showed great consistency, shooting 32 on both the front and back nine to post his lowest single-round score in a PGA Tour event since the 2015 AT&T Byron Nelson. 

After completing his round, Berger didn't seem to be showing any signs of nervousness or concern heading into the weekend:

While Berger was busy binge-watching Netflix, his main competition was on the course trying to play catch-up.

Tom Hoge is alone in second place at six under par. He didn't match his opening-round 65 on Friday because of a rough start on the back nine in which he hit three bogeys in a five-hole stretch.

Hoge took advantage of the clubs that helped him get to the green, though, per Golf Channel:

Dustin Johnson continued to play well, firing a one-under 69 to enter the weekend in a tie for third place. He was tremendous for the first three-quarters of the tournament's 36 holes, per the PGA Tour:

Playing well on Thursday and Friday is nothing new for Johnson, who has failed to break 70 in the first two rounds only once in his last three tournaments. The weekend has been his undoing with scoring averages that climb over the final two rounds.

Round	Scoring Average (PGA Tour Rank)
1	68.55 (1)
2	68.91 (2)
3	70.36 (57)
4	71.36 (106)

There were signs Johnson was coming out of his weekend funk at the Memorial last week, when he shot a 68 on Saturday and 71 on Sunday. His third-place finish tied his best mark of the season, but he has work to do if he wants to find the winner's circle for the first time this year.

Phil Mickelson, who is slowly building some momentum heading into the U.S. Open, also made a move Friday. He missed the cut at The Players Championship four weeks ago before finishing 20th at the Memorial last week. 

Lefty vaulted into a tie for third place thanks to a 65 on Friday. It was his best score since the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February. His putter remained an asset through two rounds, as his birdie on No. 11 showed, via the PGA Tour:

Confidence is vital in golf because one bad shot can unravel an entire round. Mickelson has not been shy in expressing his concern about how difficult the U.S. Open at Oakmont will be next week, so getting an opportunity to hone his craft and be competitive this week is a huge step in the right direction. 

Yet for all of Mickelson's heroics Friday, he still has a lot of work to do because Berger has separated himself from the pack. 

Berger has been steadily climbing up the ranks, waiting for his moment in the spotlight. 

It's on Berger right now, shining as bright as it ever has, so the onus is on him to keep putting the pressure on everyone else who will be trying to catch him Saturday.

Post-Round Reaction

Despite holding a commanding lead, Berger was not about to start tooting his own horn when meeting with the media, via Golf Digest: “Everything was [working] when you don’t have a bogey and shoot 64. I’m just excited to see what happens this weekend and get ready for [the U.S. Open] next week.”

Before Berger was able to get his Netflix-and-chill going, though, he did alert everyone to what was on the menu on Twitter:

It's not a glamorous life for Berger, but he doesn't need to alternate something that's been working so well for him through the first two rounds. 

Things were not as rosy for Johnson in his post-game comments, as he ended the second round with a bogey and double-bogey on the last two holes.

Per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), Johnson was not making excuses for the lackluster ending: "You're going to make some bogies out here. But from the fairway you shouldn't be making bogies. You know, just need to get a little bit better tomorrow ... but I feel like I'm driving it really well and swinging my irons really good."

Also from the AP, Mickelson had nothing but positive things to say about his standing: "I'm very excited that I'm in contention, that I have a good opportunity heading into the weekend."

All any golfer wants is a chance. Berger, Johnson and Mickelson are among the players who have put themselves in position to do a lot of good things this weekend. They just need to keep taking advantage of their openings when they come around.