Golf-Little-known PGA leaders no surprise for Mickelson

JOHNS CREEK, Georgia, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The sight of Americans Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner at the top of the PGA Championship leaderboard on Friday may have raised some eyebrows but it did not surprise four-times major winner Phil Mickelson.

PGA Tour rookie Bradley fired a best-of-the-day six-under-par 64 to join journeyman Dufner (65) in a share of the second-round lead at five-under 135 as the duo upstaged the game's biggest names in the year's final major.
"It doesn't surprise me at all this week," 2005 PGA champion Mickelson told reporters after carding a 70 to end another sun-baked day at Atlanta Athletic Club six strokes off the pace.
"They are very good players, and they are very talented. They have been in contention a number of times. I've seen how good they are."
Mickelson, a battle-hardened veteran of the weekend pressure at majors, was asked if he felt his own experience would give him an edge over the relative unknowns at the top of the leaderboard over the last two rounds.
"I don't know if past experience is going to make a difference or not," the world number six said. "You've just got to hit the shots and make some putts. It's pretty obvious how you have to play the holes here.
"There are no options to play the holes different ways. You just have to execute, and there's some guys out there executing and making some birdies. You can do that out here."
Bradley, who won his maiden PGA Tour title in a playoff with compatriot Ryan Palmer at the Byron Nelson Championship in May, oozed confidence after his flawless six-birdie display.
"I've got to tell you, I do feel very comfortable out there," the 25-year-old said after a surprisingly mature performance in his first major championship. "I'm playing some good golf. When you're playing well, it seems easy.
"I'm finishing up and Tiger (Woods) is finishing (on the other nine). I'm teeing off, Tiger is on one."
Bradley and 14-times major champion Woods were given similar tee times for the first two rounds but on opposite nines.

IDOLISING TIGER
"He's one of my idols," Bradley said of Woods. "It's cool to look around and see all these guys that I've looked up to my whole life and be able to be peers with them, compete at the highest level with them.
"I'm far from relaxed any ways out there but winning, especially as a rookie, is a huge weight off your shoulders," added the slender American, who is a nephew of LPGA great and World Golf Hall of Famer Pat Bradley.
Dufner planned to draw on his experience from last year's PGA Championship at Whistling Straits where he was in the hunt for the title until he slipped back over the closing stretch.
"As far as winning a major, that would probably be the most meaningful thing to me in my career so far since I've never won anything," said the 34-year-old. "It would be pretty amazing for the first win to be a major.
"I came pretty close last year at Whistling Straits. I had a reasonable chance going into the last nine holes to catch those guys. I think I missed the playoff by two shots."
Dufner, who tied for fifth place at Whistling Straits, had not expected to flourish at Atlanta Athletic Club this week but he took an instant liking to the par-70 layout.
"I hadn't played very well this summer ... so I had three weeks off coming into this event," said the American who had missed the cut in his four previous PGA Tour starts. "I had never seen the golf course, but I've been here since Friday.
"I wouldn't say that I expected to be five under after two days, but I felt like I could have a good chance if I played fairly well. I was pretty comfortable on this style of golf course."
Bradley and Dufner will go into Saturday's third round a stroke in front of compatriots DA Points, Jim Furyk and Scott Verplank, plus Australia's John Senden, as American players bid to end an unprecedented run of six successive majors without a winner.