Byrd alone atop leaderboard
Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2008
DULUTH, Ga. — Jonathan Byrd took advantage of soft fairways and receptive greens at TPC Sugarloaf on Friday, shooting his second consecutive 6-under-par 66 to take a three-stroke lead in the AT&T Classic.
Byrd, seeking his fourth PGA Tour victory, shared the lead with Kenny Perry, Ryan Palmer and two others when the second round began.
The course was drenched with more than an inch of rain Thursday and, though no precipitation fell in the second round, overcast conditions kept the sun from drying off the fairways and greens and making the course play faster.
Perry and Palmer shot 69 s to drop into a tie for second.
Byrd, who finished sixth in 2006 and tied for ninth in 2007, was in the final group two years ago when Phil Mickelson finished the tournament a staggering 28 under.
“I watched him just kind of stay aggressive, stay aggressive, stay aggressive, and he kept making birdies,” Byrd said. “And I just kept telling myself that today. It’s windy, but the greens are soft, so I’ve got to keep trying to hit it close and keep trying to make birdies.” Byrd was upset about a mental lapse that led to a three-putt at the par-5 sixth. It marked the only hole he played over par in the second round and just his second of the tournament.
Glen Day (Little Rock ) shot 1-under 71 with five birdies and four bogeys for 1-over 145, missing by the cut by one stroke. Brenden Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks ) shot 2-over 74 with two birdies and four bogeys for 2-over 146. Tag Ridings (Razorbacks ) shot 2-over 74 with four birdies, three bogeys and a triple bogey for 2-over 146. Ron Whittaker (Little Rock ) shot 2-over 74 with three birdies and five bogeys for a 3-over 147. Richard Johnson (Fort Smith ) shot 4-over 76 with two birdies and six bogeys for an 8-over 152. CHAMPIONS Bean, Goodes share lead HOOVER, Ala. — Andy Bean and Monday qualifier Mike Goodes shot 7-under-par 65 s to share the first-round lead, two strokes ahead of leading money winner Bernhard Langer, in the Champions Tour’s Regions Charity Classic. PGA EUROPEAN Lorenzo-Vera leads Irish ADARE, Ireland — France’s Michael Lorenzo-Vera shot a 2-under-par 70 for a 6-under 138 and a one-stroke lead over Germany’s Marcel Siem (71 ) after the second round of the Irish Open.
LPGA Round rained out CLIFTON, N. J. — Play was washed out in the $ 2 million Sybase Classic when steady rain saturated three greens and flooded a couple of bunkers. Tournament officials rescheduled the second round to today and reduced the tournament from 72 holes to 54.
NATIONWIDE Mathis leads by one GREER, S. C. — David Mathis shot a 7-under-par 65 for a 14-under 130 and a one-stroke lead over Matt Weibring (65 ) after the first round of the BMW Charity Pro-Am. Rich Morris (Fayetteville, Arkansas Razorbacks ) shot 2-over 73 at Thornblade Club with two birdies and four bogeys for 4-under 139. Bryce Molder (Conway ) shot par 72 at Bright’s Creek with three birdies and three bogeys for 4-under 140. Scott Gardiner (Farmington ) shot 1-over 73 at Bright’s Creek with two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey for 3-under 141. Craig Lile (Razorbacks ) shot 1-over 72 at Thornblade Club with three birdies and four bogeys for 1-under 142. Deane Pappas (Razorbacks ) shot 3-over 75 at Bright’s Creek with a birdie and four bogeys for 6-over 150. Friday’s professional golf results PGA Tour AT&T Classic At TPC Sugarloaf Duluth, Ga. Purse: $ 5. 5 million Par 72, 7, 311 yards Second of four rounds Jonathan Byrd.......................... 66-66—132 Kenny Perry............................. 66-69—135 Ryan Palmer............................ 66-69—135 Charles Howell III..................... 67-69—136 David Toms.............................. 67-69—136 Parker McLachlin..................... 66-70—136 Missed the cut Glen Day................................... 74-71—145 Brenden Pappas....................... 72-74—146 Tag Ridings.............................. 72-74—146 Ron Whittaker.......................... 73-74—147 Richard Johnson...................... 76-76—152 European PGA Irish Open At Adare Manor Adare Purse: $ 3. 9 million Par 72, 7, 453 yards Second of four rounds Michael Lorenzo-Vera.............. 68-70—138 Marcel Siem............................. 68-71—139 Richard Green.......................... 66-74—140 Pablo Larrazabal...................... 70-70—140 Nationwide Tour BMW Charity Pro-Am Greer, S. C. Purse: $ 675, 000 t-Thornblade Club, 6, 669 yards, par 71 c-The Carolina Country Club, 6, 877 yards, par 72 b-Bright’s Creek Golf Club, 7, 435 yards, par 72 Second of four rounds David Mathis....................... 65 C-65 B—130 Matt Weibring...................... 66 T-65 C—131 Matt Hendrix....................... 65 C-68 B—133 Greg Chalmers.................... 67 C-67 B—134 Matt Bettencourt................. 68 C-67 B—135 Arkansans Rich Morris......................... 66 B-73 T—139 Bryce Molder....................... 68 C-72 B—140 Scott Gardiner..................... 68 C-73 B—141 Craig Lile............................. 70 B-72 T—142 Deane Pappas..................... 75 C-75 B—150 Champions Regions Charity Classic At Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Ross Bridge Hoover, Ala. Purse: $ 1. 7 million, Par 72, 7, 503 yards First of three rounds Andy Bean.................................. 33-32—65 Mike Goodes.............................. 31-34—65 Bernhard Langer........................ 33-34—67 More scores, 9 C
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