Darron Stiles vaults into the lead with 64 - FedEx St Jude Classic 2006

Stiles grabbed a two-stroke lead with a 6-under 64 Friday after the second round of the St. Jude Classic when winds gusting to 20 mph for a second straight day played havoc with the dry fairways and hard greens at the TPC at Southwind.

"It seems like I've been playing in the wind for the last month whether it's been out here in New Orleans a few weeks ago or a couple weeks ago on the Nationwide Tour," said Stiles, who won the Rheem Classic in Arkansas two weeks ago.

"I used to not like playing in a lot of wind. I think I've toned down enough mentally and gotten a lot smarter to play the right shot."

Stiles turned in eight birdies with a double-bogey for a 133 total through 36 holes, giving him only his second lead on the PGA Tour and his first by himself. He shared the first-round lead here in 2003 with Jay Haas and Richard Johnson.

Tim Herron, who won at Colonial last week, shot a 65 and was tied with Tom Pernice (68) and first-round leader Chris Smith (71) at 135. David Toms (67), Brian Gay (67) and Camilo Villegas (66) were at 136.

The cut at 4 over was the highest since this event moved here in 1989, two strokes higher than the 2 over in the first year and only the third time the cut has come over par.

That proves changes are working to toughen the course that yielded 26 under as the winning score for John Cook in 1996 and 20 under when Toms won in 2003. After the 2004 event, 200 yards was added in length, par lowered a stroke to 70 and the Bentgrass greens swapped out with Champion Bermuda.

Only Stiles and Pernice got as low as 7 under, but Stiles was the only one who got there twice and stayed there using his putter to hole five birdies from 12 feet or longer.

Stiles birdied five of his first seven holes to grab a share of the lead with Smith at 6 under, and he birdied his 10th hole, the par-4 No. 1 with a 12-footer. He double-bogeyed the par-4 No. 5 by trying to loft his tee shot with some help from the wind only to hit some trees, and he three-putted from 20 feet.

He rebounded with birdies on Nos. 6 and 9, the last after he hit a pitching wedge from 123 yards out to 4 feet of the hole to get back to 7 under.

Stiles, who has partial status on tour after finishing 143rd on the money list last year, said he's been on a run. He credits warmer weather.

"It seems like the hotter the weather we get, the better I start playing. Some of that comes from growing up in Florida. I'm used to heat in the summertime," he said.

Pernice ruined a strong start with four birdies in his first eight holes with a double-bogey and three bogeys before rebounding with an eagle and a birdie down the stretch.

"The difference in the golf course with the Champion Bermuda and the Tifsport around the edges of the greens has made all the difference in the world. ... The course is easily standing up for itself, no question," Pernice said.

Smith had a two-stroke lead after the first round and stayed atop the leaderboard as he balanced two bogeys with two birdies on his first nine. Stiles caught him on his seventh hole, and Smith bogeyed and dropped to 5 under when a 6-iron rolled off the middle of the green on the par-4 No. 5.

"I still haven't figured out how to hold that green," he said.

Herron had seven birdies and two bogeys in a round that was two strokes off his best score on this course. He might have gone lower if not for a drive out of bounds left on the par-4 No. 12 as he tried to avoid the lake on the right.

He said the course was playing a bit like Colonial where he won in a playoff last weekend.

"I hit a 3-iron off 18 today, which I haven't done in years here. Usually we just don't get the wind," Herron said.

The forecast for the weekend calls for the wind easing with little chance of rain.