Sergio Garcia and Ryan Palmer share the halfway lead at the HP Byron Nelson Classic, TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas, Texas. Palmer added a second round 67 to his opening 65, while Garcia carded a second successive 66.

Both players carded just one bogey each; Palmer’s coming at the 15th, while Garcia the 3rd and the pair scored 9 birdies between them to open up a three shot gap over Tim Petrovic and Scott Piercy on 8-under par 132.

Garcia showed no ill effects of the finger injury that forced his withdrawal from a British Open qualifier earlier in the week, hitting 11 of 14 fairways and 14 out of 18 greens in regulation on a breezy day that caught several players out.

“You would be happy with those stats on a day with not much wind,” Garcia said afterwards.

Palmer, meanwhile had made the cut only one in seven previous starts in this event, and prior to Thursday’s opening 65 had carded nine consecutive over-par rounds. Now, however, Palmer has elected for his caddym James Edmonson to call his shots, leaving Palmer the task of hitting them – and it is a strategy that has so far seemed to pay dividends.

“He’s never played good here and we finally decided that I was going to take over and just lead the horse around the ranch,” Edmondson said.

Nick Watney, Joe Ogilvie and Chad Collins share fifth place on 4-under par; Watney carding a 68, with Ogilvie a 70 and Collins a 69.

For the second year in a row, area amateur teenager Jordan Spieth made the cut at the Nelson. After his 2-under 68 on Friday, he was in a group of six players at 3 under.
Overnight leader, Jeff Overton shot a disappointing 74, while tipster pick Dustin Johnson became the sole representative for the weekend with a 75 to drop back to 1-over par. Both Charley Hoffman and Marc Leishman missed the cut following rounds of 74 and 77 respectively.

In total, 74 players made the cut at the 3-over par mark, including defending champion Jason Day whose second round 71 saw him squeeze in right on the mark.