Associated Press Tim Clark, above hitting off the ninth tee, needed only one birdie over his final two holes to shoot 59. He finished with consecutive bogeys and had to settle for a one-shot lead Saturday in the Deutsche Bank Championship.

He still matched his career low with a 9-under 62 on soft and vulnerable TPC Boston, giving him a one-shot lead over Mike Weir of Canada at the halfway point of the PGA Tour's second playoff event.

On another day of lowing scoring, Clark was trying to get into contention when he shot to the top of the leaderboard by playing a six-hole stretch in 7 under, including two eagles. After a wedge to 3 feet on the par-5 seventh put the South African at 11 under for the round with two holes to play, it all fell apart.

Clark missed the green on the par-3 eighth and failed to convert an 8-foot par putt.

“That was the end of the dream,” Clark said.

He missed the ninth fairway, watched his approach bound through the green and he missed his 10-foot par putt for a 62, putting him at 14-under 128.

Weir, who tied the course record Friday with a 61, took a while to warm up until he settled in for a 68.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson overcame a double bogey on the 16th hole with a 33 on the front nine to make the cut on the number, but two Ryder Cup hopefuls from Europe were not so fortunate. Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, both trying to impress captain Nick Faldo before he makes his two picks Saturday, missed the cut.

Poulter lashed out at the media, saying the distractions this week caused him to waste energy on the wrong things.

“It's a joke,” Poulter said after a 74. “It's not the kind of buzz you want to play golf on, trust me. The kind of nonsense that's been in my head for a whole week is not the right kind of pressure.

It's nonsense,” he said. “You've read it. You've wrote it. Some of you might be guilty or not, I don't know. But boy, what one hell of a week.”