AT&T Classic: Second-Round Notebook

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DULUTH, Ga. -- Friday's weather was cloudy in the morning with SSW winds at 8-15 mph. Afternoon winds increased to 15-25 mph, with light sprinkles in the early afternoon. For the second day in a row, players were allowed to use preferred lies in the aftermath of Thursday's heavy rains.

• A total of 76 players made the 36-hole cut at even-par from a field of 150 professionals at 8:14 p.m. ET.

Among past champs, Zach Johnson is faring the best. (Sullivan/Getty Images)

Past AT&T Classic

Champions thru 36 Holes

Player (Won) Position Zach Johnson (2004/07) 69-70/T10 Retief Goosen (2002) 73-68/T28 Corey Pavin (1991) 72-69/T28 Bob Tway (1986) 72-70/T40 Ben Crane (2003) WD Scott McCarron (2001) 70-76/MC David Duval (1999) 78-77/MC Paul Stankowski (1996) 73-74/MC

• Since missing the cut in his first AT&T Classic in 2002, Jonathan Byrd tied the low round of the day Thursday with a 6-under-par 66, only to back it up in round two with a 5-under-par 67 to take a three-stroke lead into the weekend. Byrd is now 8 for 10 in firing sub-70 rounds at TPC Sugarloaf since 2006. Byrd finished sixth in 2006 and tied for ninth last year.

• Jonathan Byrd's three-stroke lead after 36 holes is the third-largest 36-hole lead since the event moved to the TPC Sugarloaf in 1997. Rory Sabbatini tied for third in 1999 after taking a four-stroke lead into the weekend, and Phil Mickelson set the 36-hole record when he took a six-stroke lead into the weekend, ultimately winning by 13 strokes.

• After 36 holes, Jonathan Byrd has held a share of the lead five times, and once outright. Only in the event where he held the outright lead did he emerge victorious. He ted for 13th at the 2008 FBR Open, tied for 10th at the 2007 BMW Championship, tied for fifth at the 2006 RBC Canadian Open, tied for 17th at the 2005 Viking Classic and tied for 44th at the 2004 PODS Championship.

• Should Jonathan Byrd go on to win, he would become the first South Carolina-born player to win the AT&T Classic, dating back to 1967.

• After his opening-round, 6-under-par 66, 47-year-old Kenny Perry fired a second-round 69 to trail Jonathan Byrd by three strokes headed into the weekend. It was the first time Perry opened a tournament with two rounds in the 60s since this year's FBR Open, where he finished tied for 17th. This was the first-time in 17 starts at the AT&T Classic that Perry has opened with both rounds in the 60s.

• Following his opening-round, 3-under-par 69, Alpharetta resident Heath Slocum fired a 68 in round two. In this, his seventh start at TPC Sugarloaf, Slocum has missed five of six previous cuts and, before Thursday, had never broken 70. In 2005, Slocum finished tied for 57th.

• With a 2-under-par 70 in round two, defending champion Zach Johnson fired his 10th consecutive sub-par round at TPC Sugarloaf. Johnson shot even par in round three of the 2005 AT&T Classic. Seven shots off the lead headed into the weekend, should Johnson successfully go on to defend his AT&T Classic title, he would become just the third player to do so. Phil Mickelson won at TPC Sugarloaf in 2005 and 2006, and Hale Irwin won at Atlanta Country Club in 1975 and 1977 (no event in 1976).

• Of the 11 PGA TOUR events in which Stewart Cink has played in 2008, six have resulted in top-10 finishes, the most of any player this year. After a second-round, 1-under-par 71, Cink heads into the weekend tied for 10th.

• Ryan Palmer has missed three of four cuts this year on the PGA TOUR. After an opening-round 6-under par 66 at the AT&T Classic, Palmer backed it up in round two with a 69, to post his first back-to-back sub-par rounds of the year. Back-to-back 76s and back-to-back 74s in 2004 and 2007, respectively, resulted in missed cuts at TPC Sugarloaf.

• Ryan Palmer heads into the weekend at 9 under par. Palmer was 8 under par after 36 holes at the 2004 Funai Classic at Walt Disney Resort, where he claimed his lone PGA TOUR title.

• Playing in just his fourth event at TPC Sugarloaf, Charles Howell III is in search of his first top-10 finish since the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship (tied for eighth). After a 70-68 start, Howell went on to tie for sixth at the AT&T Classic in 2001, while missing the cut in 2002 and 2007.

• With a second-round 2-under-par 70, Briny Baird posted his 10th consecutive par-or-better round at TPC Sugarloaf. In the first round Thursday, he had an even-par 72.

• En route to a 3-under-par 69 in round two, Camilo Villegas eagled the par-5 sixth hole. Villegas' second shot from 247 yards landed 4 feet from the hole. By making the eagle putt, he became the only player to card an eagle in each of his first two days. On Thursday, Villegas eagled the par-5 13th.

• The University of Georgia's Ryuji Imada bettered his opening-round, 1-under-par 71 with a 69 Friday to put himself into contention headed into the weekend. Imada will begin the third-round at 4 under par, eight shots off Jonathan Byrd's lead.

• Bogey-free in round two: Heath Slocum, Jay Williamson, Ryuji Imada, Tom Byrum, Bubba Watson, Corey Pavin, Joe Ogilvie, Omar Uresti, Len Mattiace, Notah Begay III.

• Kent Jones withdrew prior to the second-round because of a wrist injury. Without citing a reason, Roland Thatcher also withdrew prior to his second round.