Joe Ozaki was long gone when the cheers rumbled across the Stadium Course late this afternoon in The Players Championship.

First it was Davis Love III, holing out for birdie from a greenside bunker. Then it was Ernie Els, making two eagles and finishing off a 67 with a birdie on the last hole.

The loudest ovation of all was saved for David Duval, the hometown hero and hottest player in golf, walking up the 18th fairway on his way to a 69 that left him stroke behind Ozaki going into the weekend.

One reason Ozaki keeps coming to America is to prove he can compete against the best.

He got his wish.

Ozaki had a 4-under 68 to get into the same position he was last year -- at 137, in the lead after two trips around the Stadium Course on the TPC at Sawgrass.

The biggest difference is who's behind him.

Duval missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th that left him at 138 and paired with Ozaki in the final group Saturday.

"I'm very pleased with my score," Duval said. "I'm looking forward to the weekend."

He's not the only one. If Ozaki cares to peek over his shoulder, he'll find a star-studded group of players behind him.

Bruce Lietzke had a 68 and was two strokes behind, followed by Love (70) and a pair of two-time U.S. Open champions -- Els (67) and Curtis Strange (69).

Nick Price tied Els for the best round of the day and was at 141, along with Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie were another stroke back.

"A lot of guys rank this as another major, and I think that feeling is there," Els said.

The Players is the third-strongest field in golf this decade, with 49 out of the top 50 from the world rankings. The only one missing is Ozaki's big brother, Jumbo, who has won over 100 tournaments around the world but only once outside Japan, the 1972 New Zealand PGA.

Joe Ozaki has played the PGA Tour and the Japanese tour since 1993, although he has never won in America.

"I have almost quit a couple of times here on this tour," Ozaki said through an interpreter. "But I was born to be a pro golfer. In order to test your game, you need to play against the best competition. You need to play on the best golf courses. That is a test."

That's what he's got.

The Stadium Course played one stroke easier than Thursday, mainly because of cloud cover in the morning. That allowed for several good rounds and, ultimately, a crowded leaderboard.

"You expect a good mix of guys that have been there, and some guys that are new to the top," Love said. "It will shake out a lot tomorrow."

The biggest name of all is Duval, who has won nine times in his last 31 stroke-play tournaments. He's the only two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, the only man with a 59 on Sunday.

A victory this week could move him to No. 1 in the world, which would be even sweeter should in happen in a tournament he grew up watching and against the strongest field this event has ever had.

"What would add to it is the course itself, competing on a golf course that's very difficult under a very difficult setup," Duval said.

How difficult?

Without rain, and with more sunshine and afternoon wind, Els and Love were among those worried that it could cross the line of being fair.

"They want every shot to be a challenge, and they want it to be hard and fast and tough," Love said. "And they've got it right there. It could be a problem."

Nothing looks like much of a problem to Duval.

Despite missing a 6-foot birdie putt on the first hole and taking a bogey on the par-5 second, he answered with a 7-iron into four feet for birdie and a wedge from a fairway bunker that stopped two feet from the hole.

And right when it looked like the round could get away from him, Duval came up with two huge par saves. After a 10-foot save on No. 5, Duval went from the ankle-deep rough to a bad lie in the rough short of the green, chipped 30 feet by the hole and then made the putt.

"Looked like a par the whole time," he laughed to himself.

Ozaki was the only one among the leaders who played in the morning under overcast skies that kept the greens from getting fried.

He made his first bogey of the tournament on the par-3 third, his 12th hole of the day. Still, he had the perfect recipe for a Stadium Course that has been set up as difficult as ever.

"I hit my driver really well, hit my irons shots good, putted well," he said. "All in all, it was a real solid, steady round - even better than yesterday."

A year ago, Ozaki was tied with Lee Janzen after the second round but played the final two rounds in 150.

"I have learned from experience that being halfway leader doesn't mean a whole lot," Ozaki said. "Last year I was sitting in the same chair, same score, and it ended up 18th place. I just need to play golf. That's what I'm trying to focus my mind on.

"If I start imagining things, then other things happen."

Keeping his mind off Duval may prove to be the biggest challenge of all.