WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Former Tennessee Tech All-American Scott Stallings fired a five-under 65 Friday and surged toward the top of the leaderboard halfway through the Greenbrier Classic. Stallings has placed in the Top 25 in six of his last eight PGA Tour events.

 Brian De Jonge shot a 3-under-par 67 Friday and is tied with Webb Simpson at 7 under with two rounds remaining.

Stallings shot an even-par 70 on Thursday, making four birdies, four bogeys and 10 pars. On Friday, he managed five birdies and 13 pars, and didn't card a single bogey. He is scheduled to begin play Saturday in round three at hole #1 at the Old White TPC, where he is paired with Gary Woodland.

Among those failing to advance to weekend play were Phil Mickelson, whose streak of making 17 straight cuts ended, and defending champion Stuart Appleby. Both finished 3 over, missing the cut by two strokes.

Both Simpson and de Jonge are chasing their first career victories. The tournament champion will earn a spot in next week's World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

Like last year, when Appleby came from a seven-stroke deficit and shot 59 in the final round to win, it's anyone's tournament. Thirty-five players were within five shots of the lead entering the third round.

Simpson and de Jonge were the only two of the top 10 from the first round to break par in the second. The cut was three shots higher than last year.

First-round leader Trevor Immelman made just two birdies, shot 70 and was at 6 under.

Tied at 5 under are Stallings (65), Michael Letzig (66), Gary Woodland (70), Brian Davis (64) and Derek Lamely (70). Lamely was tied for the lead before a stretch of three bogeys and a double-bogey over seven holes.

Canadian Chris Baryla made five birdies in an eight-hole stretch in his morning round to rocket to the top of the leaderboard at 8 under, then made triple-bogey on the par-4 sixth. He shot 69 and was in a group of six at 4 under.

Australian Steven Bowditch moved to 6 under after an early birdie, but had a double-bogey and three bogeys on his final four holes to fall to even par.