The Associated Press

DEARBORN, Mich. - The wind kicked up at the Senior Players Championship on Friday, and most of the scores reflected the harsh weather. Then there was Tom Watson.

In blustery conditions more apt for a British Open, Watson shot an 8-under 64, one off the course record, to grab the second-round lead at the TPC of Michigan. Watson missed a 3-footer for birdie on 18 that would have tied the record at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course.

His 10-under 134 total in the Champions Tour major was two shots better than Andy North, the two-time U.S. Open champion who had a 69 Friday. Four others, including first-round leader Gil Morgan, were at 137.

Watson finished eighth in the Senior Players Championship in 2001 and 18th in 2000. He didn't play last year. He's coming off strong early round performances in the past month at the U.S. Open and the U.S. Senior Open.

"When conditions get tough, that's when you can make a statement," said Watson, a five-time British Open champion. "When you shoot a round like this in the wind, you're going to pass a lot of people."

A string of rainy days leading up to the tournament left the greens soft and the course ripe for scoring Thursday, when Morgan also missed the course record by a shot.

On Friday, the wind gusted between 20 mph and 35 mph for much of the day, making birdies a real feat though the greens remained relatively soft.

The scoring average ballooned from 71.7 on Thursday to just over 74 in the second round. Whereas 22 players posted scores in the 60s in the first round, the second round yielded just five.

"This was a very difficult day for everyone," said Tom Kite, who shot even par Friday and stands alone in seventh, four shots back. "We caught this course in its most benign yesterday, but we knew it was going to fight back."

Defending champion Stewart Ginn shot 2-under 70 for a two-round total of 143, while Jack Nicklaus, who designed the TPC course in this Detroit suburb, carded a 76 and is 6 over. There is no cut.

SCOTTISH OPEN: Ernie Els shot a 4-under-par 67 and extended his lead to four strokes after two rounds at Luss.

Els, who will defend his British Open title next week at Royal St. George's, played through a persistent rain and moved to 11-under 131.

John Daly's 5-under 66 was the low round Friday, and he moved into a tie for 15th at 2 under. Colin Montgomerie followed an opening 71 with a 1-under 70 for a two-round total of 1 under. Phil Mickelson improved eight strokes from his opening round, shooting a 3-under 68 to make the cut by a stroke.

PGA TOUR: Jerry Kelly's had to use a replacement putter for his final 10 holes but fired a 3-under-par 67 on a rainy, windy day at Brown Deer Park. That left him within a stroke of Jay Don Blake, the leader at the halfway point in the Greater Milwaukee Open.

Brett Quigley (67) and Patrick Sheehan (65) also are a shot behind Blake, the first-round leader who carded a 68 in the morning to stand 8-under for the tournament at 132.

CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN: There will be no encore for U.S. Women's Open champion Hilary Lunke, who missed the cut in Vancouver. Lunke completed two rounds at 9-over 153. She opened with a 76 Thursday and was even worse Friday, carding a 5-over 77.

Beth Daniel led by one with a 6-under 138.

NATIONWIDE TOUR: Miami University grad Brad Adamonis made the cut at 1-over 143, and Turpin High grad Andy Sanders missed the cut by one stroke at 144 in the Reese's Cup Classic at Hershey, Pa.