AKRON, Ohio — Jim Furyk is two rounds away from erasing a couple of bad memories at Firestone.

Even with a bogey on his last hole for the second straight day, Furyk did plenty right Friday in the Bridgestone Invitational for another 4-under 66 that gave him a four-shot lead going into the weekend of this World Golf Championship.

Jim Furyk lines up a putt on the 11th hole during the second round of the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament Friday at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Furyk shot a 4-under 66 for the second straight day and leads by four strokes at the midway point of the tournament. The Associated Press

Furyk ran off three birdies in a four-hole stretch late in his round to reach 8-under 132.

It’s a familiar position for Furyk at Firestone, where he has done everything right except leave with the trophy. During a seven-hole playoff against Tiger Woods in 2001, Furyk missed three birdie putts inside 12 feet for the win, and Woods finally closed him out on the 79th hole of the tournament.

More painful was three years ago, when Furyk led wire-to-wire and was in the 18th fairway on Sunday when one bad swing led to a double bogey and he lost by one.

Furyk doesn’t see this as a shot at redemption.

“I would say that I’m disappointed I’ve never won here,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite courses we play. But to have like a chip on my shoulder? No. It’s another year and opportunity, and we’re only halfway. I’m going to try to do the same things this weekend, and not really look at the leaderboard that much and go try to shoot under par.”

It might take every bit of that considering the cast behind him.

Bubba Watson (66) and Dustin Johnson (67), whose power is suited for this monster of a course, joined Shane Lowry of Ireland (66) at 4-under 136. Henrik Stenson (69) and Graeme McDowell (71) were among those another shot behind.

Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth got within two shots of the lead when he chipped in for birdie on the third hole (his 12th of the round). He followed with back-to-back bogeys to drop back about the time Furyk was starting to pull away.

Spieth would have to win this week to replace Rory McIlroy at No. 1 in the world.

PGA: Andres Gonzales had 11 birdies and a bogey in a 21-point round for a share of the lead with Brendan Steele in the Barracuda Championship at Reno, Nevada.

Steele matched Gonzales at 26 points after two rounds in the PGA Tour’s only modified Stableford event, scoring 18 points with an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey at Montreux Golf and Country Club.

Players receive eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus-one for bogey and minus-three for double bogey or worse.

J.J. Henry and Sweden’s Jonas Blixt were two points back.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Colin Montgomerie birdied three of the final four holes for an 8-under 62 and the first-round lead in the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta.

Playing alongside defending champion Fred Couples and Miguel Angel Jimenez, Montgomerie had nine birdies and a bogey at Canyon Meadows.

Australia’s Peter Senior was a stroke back.

LPGA: Louise Suggs, an LPGA founder and one of the greatest female golfers ever with 61 wins and 11 majors, died in Sarasota, Florida, of undisclosed causes. She was 91.

Along with being one of the 13 founders in 1950, she served as LPGA president three times, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and the LPGA Teaching and Professional Hall of Fame.

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