Duluth, GA (My Sportsbook) - Jonathan Byrd, one of five first-round leaders,
posted his second straight six-under 66 Friday to move three strokes clear of
the field after two rounds of the AT&T Classic.
Byrd, who picked up his third tour title last year, completed 36 holes at 12-
under-par 132.
Kenny Perry and Ryan Palmer, who were both among the first-round leaders,
posted three-under 69s in round two. They share second place at nine-under-par
135.
Charles Howell III, David Toms and Parker McLachlin, the fourth of the first
round co-leaders, are tied for fourth at minus-eight at the TPC at Sugarloaf.
The first round was completed earlier Friday. There was a 31-minute weather
delay on Thursday causing the round to be eventually suspended for the night
due to darkness.
Byrd played the back nine first on Friday. He got his round started with
birdies at the 10th and 11th. Byrd ran off four straight pars before dropping
in a birdie putt on the par-three 16th.
The three-time winner on the PGA Tour got to 10-under with a birdie on the
par-five 18th.
Around the turn, Byrd birdied the par-four third. He came right back with
birdies on four and five to move to 13-under.
However, Byrd tripped to his only bogey at the par-five sixth. He parred the
final three holes to lead by three.
"I played pretty sharp today," said Byrd, who holds at least a piece of the
36-hole lead for the seventh time in his tour career. "I think a good number
was out there, but the wind made it more difficult.
"I hit a ton of good shots. I had a ton of good iron shots, a lot of good
drives and had a really hot putting round until the last four or five holes."
Perry tripped to a bogey at the fourth, but he bounced back with a birdie on
the sixth.
"I made a beautiful putt on the sixth hole," Perry stated. "It probably had
eight feet of break in it. When that went it in, it kind of woke me up a
little bit, and I played really nicely from then on."
He ran home birdie efforts on nine and 11 to move to minus-eight. Perry
birdied the 16th to gain a share of second.
Palmer faltered to a double-bogey at the par-four fifth. He recovered those
shots with back-to-back birdies from the sixth.
After a bogey on the par-four ninth, Palmer eagled the 10th and followed that
with a birdie at the 11th to get to eight-under.
Palmer birdied the par-three 16th, but gave that shot right back as he bogeyed
the 17th. Palmer closed his round in style as he birdied the last to share
second.
Heath Slocum (68) and Camilo Villegas (69) are tied for seventh at seven-
under-par 137. Bob Sowards is one shot further back at minus-six.
Jonathan Kaye, the final of the five first-round co-leaders, struggled to a
six-over 78. He made the cut on the number at even-par 144 as 76 players
advanced to the weekend.
Among those who missed the cut were Lucas Glover (146), Olin Browne (147),
Jason Gore (148) and course architect Greg Norman (151).