The Senior Players Championship finally had the look and feel of a major championship today.

Overnight rain and a northeast wind put some teeth into the course at the TPC of Michigan and Australian Graham Marsh needed all his skill -- and a little bit of luck -- to craft a 2-under-par 70 for 136 and a two-stroke lead after two rounds of play.

Hale Irwin, Larry Nelson, Argentinean Vincente Fernandez, Japan's Isao Aoki and South African John Bland were tied for second at 138.

"I thought some of the pin placements were very tough today, given the wind," said Marsh, who managed to save par at the first hole despite hitting a tree with his second shot. "That made me very tentative."

Aoki's 5-under 67 was the day's best round. Fernandez and Bland each shot 70, Irwin had 71, and Nelson, whose second shot at No. 18 hit a tree, limped in at 72.

"The golf course played a lot harder today, and we may have been caught short," said Marsh, who owns 63 titles on five tours around the world. He won The Tradition, another of the Senior PGA Tour majors, in April.

"There were a couple of players, maybe many players, who shied away from the pins," Marsh said. "They just didn't want to take the chance."

Marsh, who was winless last season, began the second round tied for the lead with Nelson at 66 and one ahead of Irwin. Marsh watched a 4-foot putt lip out for bogey, dropping to 7-under at the par-3 15th. But he got it back with a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 16.

"I feel that in a major championship, you ought to be out there grinding away for pars," Marsh said.

Lee Trevino shot 68 for 139. He was tied with Spain's Jose Maria Canizares, who shot 70.

Bruce Fleisher, who leads the senior tour with four victories and $1.1 million in earnings, shot 68 for 140. Allen Doyle, who has three victories and a shade over $1 million, had 73 for 143.

Defending champion Gil Morgan shot 71 for 144. Jack Nicklaus, riding in a cart for about half the holes, had 74 for 145. Nicklaus, who designed this course, had hip-replacement surgery in January.

"The hip is fine, but everything around it is a little sore," said Nicklaus, who argued against the use of carts in the Casey Martin case. "I'll probably ride a little bit Saturday and Sunday, too."

Irwin, still bothered by the sore left shoulder that caused him to withdraw from the U.S. Open last week, bogeyed the first and last hole, and made no serious run in between.

"The course was a much different golf course today," Irwin said. "It's playing considerably longer."

As an example, Irwin said he hit driver and 3-iron to the first hole Friday, a 408-yard, par-4. That hole required only driver and pitching wedge for Irwin during the first round.

"Hopefully, it will stay this way," Irwin said. "To shoot the scores we shot yesterday for a major championship, you know, it's like an everyday event, or every-week event.

"I think we have to do something to help separate the ordinary from the exceptional."

The winner of the $2 million tournament, sponsored by Ford Motor Co., will pocket $300,000.

Divots: Karsten Solheim, who invented the PING putter in his garage 40 years ago, will be presented the Ford Achievement Award on Saturday. Despite being in poor health, Solheim flew in from Arizona with his family on Friday. Others who have received the annual award are Deane Beaman, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Nicklaus and Chi Chi Rodriguez. ... Many players said low scores were harder to come by because the course was playing longer, mainly the result of a heavy overnight rain. Trevino said on No. 16 he hit a 9-iron for his approach during the first round, and a 4-iron on Friday. ... Rodriguez birdied the 17th and 18th, but saved his big sabre dance for the home hole -- and the bigger crowd. It was well-deserved, however, since he rolled home a 20-footer to shoot 70 for 141.

AP