Leader Sam Burns chasing second successive PGA Tour title.
Marc Leishman has done best of the Australians playing this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson event at the TPC Craig Ranch in Dallas, the Victorian tied for 22nd place and 8 shots from the leader and last start winner, Sam Burns at the halfway mark.
Like so many others in this week’s field, Leishman is using this event as his final warm up for next week’s PGA Championship and although his round of 69 today has him well off the pace he is playing well enough to be confident of a good week at Kiawah Island.
Two birdies late in his second round have kept the 37-year-old only two shots away from a top 6 placing so a good weekend could seem him advance significantly from his current standing.
Leishman’s two previous starts include a 5th place at the Masters and a win with Cameron Smith in New Orleans
Cameron Percy was the only other Australian to make the cut, the 47-year-old Victorian in a share of 53rd place heading into the weekend.
Jason Day was unable to survive the low cut despite a second round of 69, a 36 hole score of 6 under required to advance to the final 36 holes.
Day has now missed his last three cuts, perhaps distracted by the fact that his wife Ellie is expecting the couple’s fourth child in the next few weeks.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed spending a lot of time with my kids and this is our last one, so we’re done after this,” said Day earlier in the week. “Like I said, priorities do change a little bit, but obviously having a child is the greatest thing that I feel like you can ever do.
“Fortunately for us we were able to have four, which is such a blessing. I could get a call in the next four weeks or whenever, this week, next week, and I could be on a plane going home. If it happens to be on Sunday at a major championship where I’m in contention, it happens. You got to do it.
“I’m not going to miss it because I’m in contention. I would much rather — a golf tournament is — it would be nice to win, but family is a forever. You got to be very careful of that.
“Yeah, right now I don’t have anything distracting me other than the potential of a child coming in the next four weeks. Other than that, I’m just all golf. That’s all I am. Very motivated right now.”
Day now carries his worst world ranking (62nd) since August of 2010.
Rhein Gibson was unable to repeat his opening day effort of 66 and a second round 73 had him outside the required mark by one in the low scoring event.
Dallas based Australians John Senden and Greg Chalmers along with Aaron Baddeley also missed the cut as did New Zealanders Tim Wilkinson and Danny Lee.
