IRVING, Texas — Hometown favorite Jordan Spieth struggled with his iron play but drained two lengthy birdie putts to move within one stroke of leader Ben Crane after the second round at the weather-hit AT&T Byron Nelson Golf Championship here Friday.
The US Open champion kept errors to a minimum as he followed his opening 64 with a five-under-par 65 at the rain-softened TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving.
He ended the round equal second with Spaniard Sergio Garcia (66) and Americans Brooks Koepka (64) and Bud Cauley (65), while Crane (63) set the halfway pace at 12-under 128.
Spieth, who missed the cut at last week’s Players Championship in his first PGA Tour start since his shocking collapse at last month’s Masters, was happy to make “limited mistakes” but acknowledged need for improvement.
“Again, I just took advantage of the easier holes,” the 22-year-old told reporters. “Had a couple of longer putts go in today and found both the par-fives in two to two-putt and tap in for those two birdies. So very limited mistakes.”
Spieth, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour who is known for his brilliant putting, said he felt much more in control of his game on the green than with an iron in his hand.
“You’d certainly like to feel like you have full control over the ball every time you step over it but that’s not reality in golf,” the American world number two smiled. “I’d like to have a bit more.
“I don’t feel like I am tied for the lead right now, it’s not the feeling I have when I stand over an iron shot but when I stand over my putter right now, it’s back to where we like to have it.”
Crane flew into the lead with an eight-birdie sortie that included a 70-foot bunker shot that rolled deliciously into the middle of the cup at the third hole.
The 40-year-old has been missing in action since he won in Memphis two years ago, a slump he puts down to too much tinkering with his swing.
“As a pro golfer you just want to get better. Changing stuff isn’t always the answer,” said the five-time PGA Tour winner.
Ryu storms one ahead
South Korea’s Ryu So-yeon, propelled by six birdies in her first nine holes, seized a one-stroke lead after Friday’s second round of the Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Seeking her fourth LPGA victory, the 2011 US Women’s Open champion fired a seven-under-par 64 on the River Course at Kingsmill Resort after engaging in a low-scoring fest with her playing competitor Stacy Lewis.
Ryu, who has recorded three top-10s in nine starts on the LPGA Tour this season without notching a win, racked up eight birdies and a lone bogey to post a seven-under total of 135.
American world No. 4 Lewis was a further stroke back after carding a five-birdie 66, ending the day level with first-round leader Mika Miyazato of Japan (71) and South Korean Amy Yang (67).
“It’s really fun to play with someone consistently making birdies,” Ryu told reporters after a mutually inspirational round in the company of Lewis. “Also we’re not really competing with each other, we’re just really supportive of each other.
“Even when we have a bad shot, we keep talking to the ball, ‘stay there’ or just ‘keep up’. It was really fun to play with Stacy.”
Ryu, who has not triumphed on the LPGA Tour since the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, said she had gained confidence in recent weeks after making a few swing changes earlier in the year.
Defending champion Minjee Lee of Australia will head into Saturday’s third round just two strokes off the pace after carding a 71 on Friday, with New Zealand’s world number one Lydia Ko a further four shots back, after a 68.
