Brandt Snedeker, on Friday

Lytham St Annes: Amid plenty of wayward swings, Brandt Snedeker and Adam Scott were steady as can be at the British Open on Friday.

And look who’s lurking right behind them: Tiger Woods.

The 31-year-old Snedeker, who had never even made the cut in golf’s oldest Major, surged to the lead with another bogey-free round, shooting a 6-under 64 that left him tied with Nick Faldo for the lowest 36-hole score in Open history.

Faldo posted a 130 total at Muirfield in 1992 — the lowest halfway score in any Major, for that matter — on the way to the last of his three Open titles. Snedeker equalled the record with a 10-under showing over the first two days, and can only hope that come Sunday he’ll be in the same position Faldo was two decades ago.

Holding the claret jug.

Scott and Woods may have something to say about that at Royal Lytham & St Anne, where the weather hasn’t been much of a factor but some devilish pin placements began to spread out the field.

Rory McIlroy went tumbling off the leaderboard. Phil Mickelson went home, missing the cut for only the fourth time in 19 Open appearances.

McIlroy, who opened with a 67, knocked his ball onto an adjoining tee box at No. 3, needed a couple of whacks to escape a towering pot bunker on the ninth, and struggled to a 75 that left a daunting 10 strokes out of the lead.

Mickelson could’ve warmed up the jet before he even made the turn. Three double-bogeys led to a 78 and an 11-over 151 total.

Scott teed off in the afternoon after tying the course record with a 64 on Thursday. Even though the first-round lead was gone by the time he stepped on the course, the Aussie didn’t wilt. Instead, he turned it up on the back nine, making three birdies capped by a 10-footer at the tough finishing hole, leaving him at 67 for the day and 131 overall.

Woods had the crowd roaring late in the day, holing out from the bunker behind the 18th green for a closing birdie. He pumped his fist and let out a yell — just like old times, before injuries and personal problems sidetracked his quest to beat Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 Major titles.

Woods has been stuck on 14 Major championships for more than four years, but he got himself in position to break the drought with a 67 on Friday that pushed his total to 134, just four strokes off the lead.

Jason Dufner (66), Matt Kuchar (67), Graeme McDowell (69 and Paul Lawrie (71) kept themselves in the hunt at 136. Ernie Els (70) was another stroke back, while the group at 138 included No. 1-ranked Luke Donald and Steve Stricker.

On the other hand, it was a historic moment for Indian golf as Anirban Lahiri and Jeev Milkha Singh assured themselves of the cut.

Lahiri added a 72 to his first 68 and was even par for 36 holes, while Jeev added a 71 to his first round 70 and was one-over 141 for two days. The cut is likely at two-over.