A string of bogeys in mid-round kept Ted Potter from putting himself in the thick of contention at the halfway point of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. 

    Ted was 2 under for his round and 7 under overall - tied for sixth place - as he headed for the 8th tee after holing birdie putts of 3 feet, 1 inch on No. 6 and 15 feet, 8 inches on No. 7. But bogeys on 8, 10 and 11 dropped him back to 4 under.

    He was still 4 under when he reached No. 17, a 320-yard, driveable par 4, and he drove it 313 yards to within 23 feet, 5 inches of the hole. He got it up and down to get back to 5 under with one to play. On the 18th, he drove it 297 yards into a fairway bunker, then hit his second from the sand to within 4 feet, 5 inches. Unfortunately, he missed the birdie putt and finished at par 71. But he did make his second straight cut after missing seven in a row.

    At 5 under, Ted dropped 22 spots on the leader board, from a tie for sixth to a tie for 28th. He tees off today from No. 1 at 11:05 EST with Brendon Todd and Will Zalatoris. 

    Ted is seven strokes behind Xander Schauffele (66-64-130, 12 under) and six behind ageless Steve Stricker (65-66-131) and Keegan Bradley (66-65-131). Stricker, with a victory at age 53, could become the oldest winner ever to win a PGA tournament.

    Gators: Billy Horschel - 66-68-134, 8 under, tied for 8th; Camilo Villegas - 74-71-145, missed cut; Brian Gay - 72-74-146, missed cut. Seminoles: Brooks Koepka - 68-66-134, 8 under; Daniel Berger - 69-71-140, 2 under, missed cut (cut came at 3 under). 

      

     

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