Dearborn, Mich. ? Tom Watson played well in the wind again in a major tournament.

The five-time British Open champion had an 8-under 64 in blustery conditions Friday to take a two-shot lead after two rounds of the Senior Players Championship.

Playing in persistent gusts that topped 35 mph, Watson missed the course record by one stroke and bettered his best score at the TPC of Michigan by three shots.

His 10-under 134 total in the Champions Tour major was two shots better than Andy North, the two-time U.S. Open champion who had a 69 Friday.

Four others, including first-round leader Gil Morgan, were at 137.

Watson said the wind, rather than creating a distraction, actually sharpened his concentration.

“I think at times when you don’t have the wind, you don’t focus quite as well and you may take some risks you shouldn’t,” he said. “When there’s wind, a lot of times you’re just happy to be on the green. When you hit the ball close, you really feel like you’ve accomplished something.”

A string of rainy days leading up to the tournament left the greens soft and the course ripe for scoring Thursday, when Morgan also missed the course record by a shot.

On Friday, the wind gusted between 20 mph and 35 mph for much of the day, making birdies a real feat though the greens remained relatively soft.

The scoring average ballooned from 71.7 Thursday to just over 74 in the second round. While 22 players posted scores in the 60s in the first round, the second round yielded just five.

“This was a very difficult day for everyone,” said Tom Kite, who shot even par Friday and stands alone in seventh, four shots back. “We caught this course in its most benign yesterday, but we knew it was going to fight back.”