Memorial Tournament 2017: Jason Dufner Leads, Sets 36-Hole Scoring Record

Jason Dufner set a new 36-hole scoring record for the Memorial Tournament with another seven-under 65 in Friday's second round to leave him at 14 under overall. He'll carry a five-shot lead into the weekend at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, as a result.

Dufner finished the day with five birdies and an eagle to create some separation between himself and the star-studded chase pack. The 2013 PGA Championship winner is seeking just his second PGA Tour victory since that major triumph four years ago (2016 CareerBuilder Challenge).

Rickie Fowler (-8), Jordan Spieth (-6), Justin Thomas (-6), Bubba Watson (-5) and Matt Kuchar (-5) are among the notable golfers who will hope he cools down over the weekend. Daniel Summerhays (-9) will pair with the leader in Saturday's third round.

Here's a look at the updated tournament leaderboard:

Dufner didn't seem like a top contender coming into the event. Along with the strong field, he'd recorded just a single top-10 result in his first 14 starts this season, and he missed the cut in the Dean & DeLuca Invitational last week after shooting five over par through two days.

The 40-year-old Ohio native has looked like a completely different golfer this week. His iron play has been nearly impeccable, and his putter, which must be a key factor since he doesn't get major distance off the tee, has been on fire in the early going.

The PGA Tour highlighted his shot of the day from the 18th fairway:

The Golf Channel confirmed his new record-setting mark:

The PGA Tour also provided some post-round reaction from the fan favorite:

Fowler posted a bogey-free, six-under 66 to vault himself into the top five after Round 2. He took some time off following a missed cut in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans followed by a 60th-place result in the Players Championship, which he capped with a forgettable 79. The returns so far are promising.

The Oklahoma State University product is having a strong season with a victory at the Honda Classic and five other finishes inside the top six on his resume. The biggest question is whether he can parlay that into his first major title. A win this week would provide a nice confidence boost.

After the round, Matt McCoy of WTVN noted Fowler joked about losing ground on Dufner even though he put together an almost flawless round of his own:

Elsewhere, Spieth found himself a single stroke off the pace after the opening round. He couldn't match that effort during Friday's action, however. He carded three bogeys during a two-over front nine before rebounding with a couple birdies on the back side to salvage an even-par day.

The two-time major champion is still firmly in the mix if Dufner comes back down to earth over the next couple days. The same can't be said for some other noteworthy players, though.

Luke Donald (+4), Billy Horschel (+5), Jon Rahm (+6) and Dustin Johnson (+8) headlined the group of golfers who failed to survive the three-over cut line.

Luke Elvy of CBS commented on the premature exits for Rahm and Johnson:

Looking ahead, the tournament will go one of two ways Saturday. If Dufner remains red-hot, the focus will shift to exactly how low he can go. Tom Lehman set the scoring record in 1994 at 20 under and Tiger Woods owns the largest margin of victory after winning by seven strokes in 2001.

If the man affectionately known as Duff Daddy doesn't maintain his breakneck pace, there are plenty of top-tier players waiting to make a moving-day surge.

It's worth noting his first and second round scoring averages are identical this season (69.67), but the figure increases by nearly a full stroke in Round 3 (70.60) and another shot in Round 4 (71.80).