MEMPHIS, May 28 (UPI) -- Defending champion David Toms, mired in a season-long slump, shot an 8-under 63 Friday that gave him the lead midway through the St. Jude Classic.
At 16th in the world, Toms is the highest-ranked player in the field. The former PGA champ has fallen out of the top 10 because of a wrist injury and continued to struggle last week, finishing 44th at the Colonial.
While Toms had two top-10 finishes early in the year, he has missed the cut in six of his 11 events, including five of the last seven.
Toms completed 36 holes at 12-under 130 and had a one-shot advantage over first-round leader Vaughn Taylor. Ben Crane was five shots back and John Daly was in a group six strokes off the lead.
After a morning rain left the greens soft, Toms was able to take full advantage as he had a bogey-free round that included an eagle and six birdies.
