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Tom Watson finds himself in a position similar to the one he's been in after 36 holes in each of the last two years at the U.S. Senior Open. At the 2005 U.S. Senior Open at NCR Country Club, Watson shared the 36-hole lead with Craig Stadler and Loren Roberts. Last year at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kansas, Watson was the sole leader through two rounds, one stroke ahead of Mark James, Morris Hatalsky, Bob Gilder and Allen Doyle.

Tom Watson's three-stroke lead after 36 holes at Whistling Straits equals the largest margin in a U.S. Senior Open at the halfway point. Dale Douglass (1986), Billy Casper (1988), Dave Stockton (1992) and Ed Dougherty (1999) all were three strokes ahead after 36 holes. Of that group, only Douglass went on to win in the particular year they enjoyed the three-stroke margin. Watson's three-shot lead also gives the Champions Tour four consecutive weeks where the 36-hole leader has held a three-stroke lead.

The field scoring average through 36 holes on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island at this year's Senior PGA Championship was 76.370 (+4.370).

Bob Ford, of Oakmont, Penn., recorded the 17th known hole-in-one in U.S. Senior Open history at the 166-yard third hole at Whistling Straits. Ford, the head professional at Oakmont Country Club, the recent site of the 2007 U.S. Open, used a 7-iron to make the shot. This hole-in-one was the 15th of his career. Ford's ace was also the seventh on the Champions Tour this year and marked the third consecutive event that a hole-in-one has been made (Massy Kuramoto/Bank of America Championship, Sam Torrance/ Commerce Bank Championship). Earlier this year, aces were also made in three Champions Tour events in a row (D.A. Weibring/FedEx Kinko's Classic, Jim Nelford/Regions Charity Classic, Ron Stelten/Senior PGA Championship).

Thus far on the 2007 Champions Tour, nine second-round leaders/co-leaders have gone on to win out of the 16 official events that have been played.

After posting his best career finish on the Champions Tour earlier this year (T3/Toshiba Classic), Ben Crenshaw is T2 through 36 holes of the 2007 U.S. Senior Open, the best position he's ever been in through two rounds of a senior major championship in 20 career starts. Earlier this year, Crenshaw was T7 through two rounds of the Senior PGA Championship and went on to finish T12 at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. In his opening round at Whistling Straits, Crenshaw managed an even-par 72 thanks to just 22 putts. He hit only six of 14 fairways and five of 18 greens in regulation. Today's 5-under 67 was his best round since posting the same score in the second round of the Toshiba Classic earlier in the year. Crenshaw hit nine of 14 fairways today as well as 15 of 18 greens in regulation and took 27 putts.

A total of 62 players (low-60 and ties) made the cut at 4-over-par 149 from a starting field of 156 players. Last year at Prairie Dunes, 61 players made the cut at 7-over-par 147. Among those missing the cut were two-time defending champion Allen Doyle, along with former champions Dale Douglass (1986), Larry Laoretti (1992), Dave Stockton (1996), Graham Marsh (1997), Dave Eichelberger (1999) and two-time U.S. Senior Open champion Hale Irwin. Irwin (+5) missed the cut by a stroke, ending his run of made-cut at senior major championships at 24 consecutive. Irwin's missed cut this week, a first in his Champions Tour career since joining the circuit in 1995, also ended his run of cuts made in the U.S. Senior Open at 11 straight, one shy of the all-time record in this event (Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Chi Chi Rodriguez). .

Seven-time Southern Nevada Player of the Year Brady Exber, from Las Vegas, has the lowest score (+2/146/T39) among the five amateurs who made the cut in the 2007 U.S. Senior Open. In addition to Exber, Danny Green (+3/147/T48), George Zahringer (+3/147/T48), Jim Knoll (+4/148/T57) and Marty West (+4/148/T57) also made the cut.

The par-4, 18th hole played as the most difficult (4.526) today. The par-4 15th hole was ranked as the fourth hardest (4.408) but gave up just three birdies (Tom Watson, Larry Nelson, Mike Goodes). The par-5 11th hole played as the easiest (4.827), yielding four eagles and 45 birdies.

Japan's Massy Kuramoto made the biggest move up on Friday. After shooting a 78 in Round 1 (T101), Kuramoto improved by 10 strokes in the second round and his 4-under-par 68 jumped him up into a T38.

Third-round play begins Saturday at 7:40 a.m. (CT) with 31 twosomes all going off the 1st tee.