WORLD NUMBER TWO Scottie Scheffler fired his second straight 64 on Friday to take a one-shot lead in the US PGA Tour Byron Nelson, the Texan’s home tournament in suburban Dallas.
Ireland’s Séamus Power, who was nine off the lead after the opening round, has now moved up to seven-under for the tournament after a second round of 66. Power started on the 10th and picked up three birdies on the 12th, 17th and 18th holes. Back-to-back bogeys on the third and fourth holes hampered his progress but he rallied with four more birdies between the fifth and ninth to leave him inside the top 30.
Scheffler’s round was less eventful than his seven-under effort in the first round, which featured two eagles and three bogeys along with six birdies.
On Friday Scheffler had eight birdies with just one bogey on the par-71 TPC Craig Ranch course and was one stroke clear of fellow American Ryan Palmer and Canadian Mackenzie Hughes.
Scheffler opened his round with a nine-foot birdie at the 10th hole and rolled in a five-footer at 11. He drained a 34-foot birdie putt at the 16th and got up and down for birdie at 18.
After an 11-foot birdie at the third he made back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth, and followed his lone miscue of the day at the eighth with a birdie at the ninth.
Former Masters champion Scheffler admitted it would be an extra thrill to win the tournament where he made his PGA Tour debut as a high school senior.
A victory would also return Scheffler to world number one, but he said overtaking Jon Rahm atop the rankings and winning in Dallas are not his focus.
There’s plenty riding on the weekend for Palmer, too, and he didn’t mind admitting how much he wants to win a tournament played just a stone’s throw from where he lives.
The 46-year-old said that would be even more satisfying than the berth for next week’s PGA Championship a victory would bring.
Palmer put himself in the hunt with a six-under par 65 that featured seven birdies.
He was joined on 13-under 129 by Hughes, who had seven birdies without a bogey in his 64.
South Korea’s Kim Si-woo carded a 66 to lie two further strokes back on 11-under 131 and Richy Werenski posted a 68 for 132.
Noh Seung-yul, who tied the course record with an opening-round 60, slipped back with a three-over par 74.
Meanwhile on the LPGA Tour, Stephanie Meadow has missed the cut at the Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey after a second round of 74 to leave her on four-over. Olivia In the Ladies European Tour, Mehaffey has also missed the cut at the Jabra Ladies Open at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France, finishing up on eight-over par.
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