The opening event of the US PGA Tour's play-offs series has promised a weekend showdown with the big guns topping the leaderboard, but Jason Day isn't one of them.
Although the Australian world No.9 mounted a gutsy back-nine comeback after a nightmare start, Day will begin the third round of the Northern Trust in New York six shots behind a superstar pack.
In Friday's second round at Glen Oaks Club on Long Island, world No.1 Dustin Johnson fired a one-under-par 69 to join Jordan Spieth (65), Rickie Fowler (66) and recent Canadian Open winner Jhonattan Vegas (65) in a share of the lead at six-under.
Matt Kuchar (64) shares fifth at five-under with two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson (68), while a tie for seventh at four-under includes Spanish world No.8 Jon Rahm and Justin Rose (both 68).
Day, who won this event in 2015, dropped a whopping five shots through his opening nine holes but rallied with four birdies coming home to sign for a 71 and at even-par he shares 32nd place.
"Even after the double-bogey on the seventh, I just kept on telling myself, 'don't worry, don't do anything more stupid'," said Day.
"The way I played on the back side gives me a lot of hope, knowing that I could play some really good golf.
"The lead is only six under and there are two more days."
At 116th on the FedEx standings and needing to finish inside the top-100 after the Northern Trust to advance to next week's play-off event in Boston, Geoff Ogilvy kept his season alive despite a double-bogey on the last hole.
Rod Pampling (71) and Ogilvy (70) both made the two-over cut on the number and the two Australian veterans share 62nd place.
Victorian Marc Leishman (72, three-over) bogeyed his last hole to miss the cut, while 24-year-old Cameron Smith (70, five-over) also exited early.
The Northern Trust is the first of four events in the PGA Tour's $US10 million play-off series and Spieth is preparing for an intense weekend.
"Jhonny Vegas has been extremely hot this summer, Rickie has been playing awesome and DJ has been trying to get his groove back and it wasn't far off," Spieth said.
"It should be an exciting weekend."
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