The Daily Wrap-up, Round 2: HP Byron Nelson Champ.
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Rory Sabbatini had just finished detailing his four consecutive birdies when wife Amy reminded him about the hole before the streak that put him in the lead at the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
"My par on No. 3 was better than any of the birdies," Sabbatini said. "I drove it in the water, then hit a 5-iron in the right greenside bunker, then holed it. Just a regulation par."
That 96-foot, par-saving bunker blast at the 528-yard third hole, his 12th of the day, and the birdie quartet came in his season-low round of 6-under 64. Sabbatini matched John Mallinger (65) at 8-under 132, a stroke ahead of five players.
Mallinger eagled both par 5s at the TPC Four Seasons, holing a 45-foot shot from the greenside bunker at No. 7 and sinking a 14-foot putt at No. 16. He also had three bogeys and four birdies -- the last a 15-footer at No. 18 for a share of the lead.
First-round co-leader James Nitties (68) overcame a double bogey when he hit his first tee shot out of bounds. The PGA TOUR rookie was in the group at 7 under that included playing partner Brian Davis (65), who finished his sixth consecutive round in the 60s after an early three putt from 5 feet for double bogey.
Briny Baird (64), James Driscoll (66) and Dustin Johnson (65) also were 7 under. Driscoll, who lost in a playoff against Zach Johnson last week in the Valero Texas Open, finished with consecutive bogeys, three putting the 198-yard 17th and missing the fairway off the tee at No. 18.
"It stinks to end like that, but I did a lot of things great out there, too," Driscoll said. "So it's kind of what I'm going to focus on."
Defending champion Adam Scott missed the cut by three strokes after consecutive 71s. Since a runner-up finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January and two World Golf Championships events that have no cuts, Scott has missed the cut and gone without a paycheck his last six tournaments.
Ken Duke, who shared the first-round lead, shot a 69 and was two strokes back with Robert Allenby (67) and D.A. Points (66).
Sabbatini had consecutive top-10 finishes at the Verizon Heritage and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans before missing cuts at the Quail Hollow Championship and THE PLAYERS Championship.
"I just got sick during (Quail Hollow) and lost a lot of energy. I made a bad choice of playing while I was sick," he said. "A few bad things crept into my swing that week, and it carried over. ... Luckily, I've kind of worked that out a little bit."
Sabbatini's only bogey came on his third hole, the 455-yard 12th, where he drove into the right rough and hit his approach into a greenside bunker.
After the unconventional par at No. 3, Sabbatini pitched inside 9 feet at Nos. 4 and 6, made a 13-footer at the 174-yard fifth and two putted from 65 feet at par-5 seventh.
Even though Sabbatini lives only a few miles from the TPC Four Seasons course, he is playing there for the first time since missing the cut at this tournament last year.
Sabbatini hasn't won since the 2007 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, where next week he will be the most recent champion after Phil Mickelson's withdrawal.
Mallinger, who tied for third at THE PLAYERS to match a career-best finish, got back even for his round with a 16-foot birdie at the par-4 sixth and followed immediately with his first eagle and another birdie.
He gave strokes back with bogeys at Nos. 11 and 12 but finished with four consecutive 3s -- the second eagle, two birdies and a par in that closing stretch.
"I was proud of myself for coming back," Mallinger said. "It was kind of slipping away. Now we're in a perfect spot."
The fun-loving Nitties knew the biggest challenge after leading the first round could be the early-morning tee time Friday. In the second group of the day, he knocked his opening tee shot way left.
"It was a poor shot, there's no excuse," Nitties said. "It's not fun. ... You think, I'm going from leading to way behind, but you can't get in that mindset."
Nitties followed eight consecutive pars, a stretch he called "a little frustrating," with five birdies in a seven-hole stretch.
Divots: Leonard had the best round of the day, a 7-under 63. That followed his opening 75. ... With inclement weather forecast for Saturday afternoon, players will tee off early in threesomes off Nos. 1 and 10. ... David Toms missed the cut but still has a chance to earn exemptions to the U.S. Open and British Open as long as more than two players behind him do not knock him out of the top 50 in the world ranking. Among the closest behind Toms, who is No. 47, are Davis Love III, Graeme McDowell and Ben Crane. All of them made the cut in either the HP Byron Nelson Championship or in Europe.
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| Friday's Best |
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The 542-yard par-5 seventh hole was easiest with a Friday scoring average of 4.396.
The 455-yard par-4 12th hole was toughest with a Friday scoring average of 4.370.
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John Mallinger hit his approach to within inches on the par-4 15th hole setting up an easy birdie. 
Justin Leonard shot a stellar 7-under 63 in Round 2, to make the cut easily after a first-round 75. INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
PGA TOUR Network correspondent Fred Albers offers these observations from Friday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146/SIRIUS 209 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.
James Driscoll had the shot of the day. Playing the par-4 12th, he had 150 yards to the front of the green and 170 yards to the pin. He hit a perfect 6-iron. While the ball was in the air, Driscoll yelled "be good." It wasn't just good; it was perfect. The ball hopped 5 feet in front of the cup and dove into the hole for an eagle. Driscoll momentarily held the lead at 9 under, but bogeys at Nos. 17 and 18 left him at 7 under, one stroke off the lead.
John Malinger is one greedy golfer, and greed can be a good thing on the course. He had not one, but a pair, of eagles and followed them up with a birdie on the 18th hole to tie for the lead. Malinger tied for third at THE PLAYERS Championship a couple of weeks ago and says he is still feeling that momentum; momentum that boosted him into 40th place on the FedExCup list.
Briny Baird says he has an idea why scores are improving at the TPC Four Seasons-Las Colinas. Baird shot 6-under 64 in the second round and credits experience with his success. The course was adjusted last year, and the greens are just maturing this season. He says he has a much better feel for the course and the greens, and he expects good scores this weekend.
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