Flanagan, Johnson tied at the top in Milwaukee

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Australian Nick Flanagan fired a seven-under-par 63 to surge into a tie for the lead with Sweden's Richard Johnson on Friday after two rounds of the PGA Tour's U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

Flanagan and Johnson were tied at 10-under-par 130, one stroke better than Kent Jones and Australian Gavin Coles, who had eight birdies in a bogey-free round of 62.

The 24-year-old Flanagan parred his first five holes at Brown Deer Park golf course before joining the scoring spree with seven birdies over his last 13 holes to match Johnson's sparkling opening round.

"I didn't really miss-hit a shot in my first five holes, either," Flanagan told reporters. "Just middle of greens and a couple of putts that lipped out."

Overnight leader Johnson, who also had some near misses with his putter, posted a 67. "I played better today, actually, than I did yesterday," the 31-year-old Swede said. "I just didn't get that many putts to drop today.

"I had two major lip-outs the last two holes...that's just the way it goes."

Troy Matteson and Ken Duke were tied for fifth, two off the pace at 132. Defending champion Joe Ogilvie was another stroke back in a large group on seven-under 133.

Red-hot Kenny Perry, winner of three of his last five PGA events, shot 68 for 135.

Seventy-seven players made the cut set at two under par.

Flanagan, a three-times winner last year on the satellite Nationwide Tour, was happy to be contending in the wide-open event that is missing most of the world's top-rated players engaged at the British Open.

"I was going to try and qualify for the British Open, and I just hadn't been playing well at all and just decided to pull out of the qualifier," Flanagan said.

(Writing by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Martin Petty)