Notebook: Round 2, Valero Texas Open

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• The second round of the Valero Texas Open started on time at 7:10 a.m. with the lift, clean and place option in effect.

• The Valero Texas Open is the sixth tournament on the PGA TOUR in 2010 to play with "preferred lies" and is the 11th out of 20 events to have play suspended. It is the eighth of 20 events to be suspended due to inclement weather.

• TPC San Antonio received 3.15 inches of rain Friday when play was officially postponed for the day. The course received an additional 1.70 inches overnight for a 24-hour total of 4.85 inches.

• Brett Wetterich, Jimmy Walker, James Nitties and first-round leader Matt Jones share the 36-hole lead at 7-under-par 137.

• The second-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win six-of-19 stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR in 2010.

• The second-round leader/co-leader at the Valero Texas Open has gone on to win four times in the last 10 years: Eric Axley (2006), Tommy Armour III (2003), Loren Roberts (2002) and Justin Leonard (2001).

• The 36-hole cut was made at even-par 144 with the closest number of players to 60 and ties qualifying for the final 36 holes. A total of 64 players qualified for the final 36 holes.

• The third round of the Valero Texas Open will start at 7:10 a.m. CT with the field going off both tees in threesomes. Players final round will start immediately following the conclusion of their third round with no repairing.

Jimmy Walker 70-67 -- 137 (-7) T1
San Antonio resident Walker followed an opening round 2-under-par 70 with a 5-under-par 67 in today's second round for a 36-hole total of 137 (-7). The 2010 Valero Texas Open is Walker's career-best position through 36 holes on the PGA TOUR. His previous career-best position through 36 holes was a T4 at the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii. His best finish on the PGA TOUR was a T5 last year at the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

Walker has made seven-of-14 cuts on the year and is in search of his first top 10 of the season. His best finish to date was a T16 at the Transitions Championship. In four previous appearances at the Valero Texas Open Walker has made the cut three times with his best result a T19 in 2008.

Should he go on to win, Walker would become the first player to make the Valero Texas Open his first PGA TOUR victory since Eric Axley in 2006.

Brett Wetterich 69-68 -- 137 (-7) T1
In just his fourth start of the 2010 season due to an injury to his right wrist, Wetterich stands at 7-under-par 137 (69-68) through 36 holes. In his three previous starts this year, Wetterich missed the cut at The Honda Classic and Transitions Championship before a T55 at the Shell Houston Open. The back-to-back sub-70 rounds this week are Wetterich's first on the PGA TOUR since the first and second rounds (R1 -- 69, R2 -- 65) of the 2007 Children's Miracle Network Classic.

Due to lingering shoulder injuries, Wetterich did not play on the PGA TOUR in 2009 and is playing this year on a Major Medical Extension. Including this week, Wetterich has 14 events to earn $717,911, which would equal No. 125 from the 2008 money list and earn the Major Medical Extension Status for the remainder of the season.

The Valero Texas Open marks the fifth time Wetterich has lead/co-lead on the PGA TOUR through 36 holes, most recently at the 2007 Masters Tournament. Of those four opportunities, Wetterich converted one into victory at the 2006 HP Byron Nelson Championship.

James Nitties 70-67 -- 137 (-7) T1
In his second full season on the PGA TOUR, James Nitties fired a bogey-free, 5-under- par 67 in the second round to earn a share of the 36-hole lead at 7-under-par. The only other occasion where Nitties shared the 36-hole lead on the PGA TOUR was earlier this year at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular where he finished T3, his only top 10 of the season.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, James Nitties will look to become the first Australian to win the Valero Texas Open since Bruce Crampton in 1964 and the first international winner of the event since Nick Price in 1992.

Like Walker, should he go on to win, Nitties will become the first player to make the Valero Texas Open his first PGA TOUR victory since Eric Axley in 2006.

Matt Jones 66-71 -- 137 (-7) T1
First-round leader Matt Jones posted a 1-under-par 71 in the second round to maintain a share of the lead with a two-day total of 7-under-par 137. Jones previously held a share of the 36-hole lead at the 2009 Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular. Jones' best finishes on the PGA TOUR were a pair of T4's at the 2008 Honda Classic and 2008 Buick Open.

Like James Nitties, Matt Jones, a native of Sydney, Australia, will look to become the first Australian to win the Valero Texas Open since Bruce Crampton in 1964 and the first international winner of the event since Nick Price in 1992.

Like Nitties and Walker, should he go on to win, Matt Jones will become the first player to make the Valero Texas Open his first PGA TOUR victory since Eric Axley in 2006.

Charley Hoffman 68-70 -- 138 (-6) T5
Charley Hoffman continues a string of good performances at the Valero Texas Open with a 36-hole total of 6-under-par 138. In four previous starts in San Antonio Hoffman has produced three top-15 finishes (2009 -- T9, 2007 -- T11, 2006 -- T8).

Ernie Els 72-67 -- 139 (-5) T12
In his first-career start at the Valero Texas Open, FedExCup points leader Els posted a bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 in the second round(72-67-139, -5). Els is one of only two multiple winners on the PGA TOUR in 2010 collecting victories at the World Golf Championshpis-CA Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.

Of his 18 career PGA TOUR victories, the only event Ernie Els won in his first attempt was the 1996 HP Byron Nelson Championship. Since 1980, Eric Axley (2006) and Zach Johnson (2008) are the only players to win the Valero Texas Open in their first appearance.

Miscellaneous
Two-time defending champion Zach Johnson missed the 36-hole cut despite a bogey-free, 4-under par 68 in round two. He finished with a two-day total of 4-over-par 148. This mark the first time Johnson has missed the cut at a tournament in which he was the defending champion (2005 BellSouth Classic -- T26; 2008 Masters Tournament -- T20; 2008 AT&T Classic -- T34; 2009 Valero Texas Open -- 1st; 20010 Sony Open in Hawaii -- T12; 2010 Valero Texas Open -- MC).

• Johnson became the first defending champion at the Valero Texas Open to miss the cut since Justin Leonard in 2002.

Here is a look at how the six past champions of the Valero Texas Open in the field have fared through 36 holes:

Zach Johnson 80-68 -- 148 (+4) MC
Justin Leonard 76-69 -- 145 (+1) MC
Eric Axley 74-72 -- 146 (+2) MC
Tommy Armour III 72-WD WD
Bob Estes 77-73 -- 150 (+10) MC
Tim Herron 73-72 -- 145 (+1) MC

• Sergio Garcia, who served as a player consultant on the design of TPC San Antonio, carded a bogey-free, 4-under- par 68 in the second round and will play the weekend with a total of 3-under-par 141, T22.

• Scott Piercy produced the round of the tournament with a course-record 8-under-par 64 improved 84 positions from T96 to T12. Piercy's round featured eight birdies with just one bogey including five consecutive birdies from Nos. 1-5. His five-consecutive birdies equaled the second-longest consecutive birdies streak on the PGA TOUR in 2010. Piercy leads the field with 13 birdies through two rounds.

• Piercy's 8-under-par 64 in the second round equaled his career-low round on the PGA TOUR, which he had previously posted four times, most recently in the first round of the 2010 Farmers Insurance Open. His 6-under-par 30 on the front nine (his second nine) equals the second-lowest nine-hole score on the PGA TOUR in 2010.

• Kris Blanks (77-67 -- 144, E) also equaled the second-longest birdies streak of the year during the second round, recording five birdies in a row from Nos. 10-14.

PGA TOUR Rookie Garth Mulroy heads into the final 36 holes at the Valero Texas Open poised for his best PGA TOUR finish at 6-under-par 138, T5. Entering this week, Mulroy had only made one cut in eight events, a T69 at the Quail Hollow Championship. His 5-under-par 67 in the second round is the lowest round of his PGA TOUR career and just his fourth sub-70 round.

• James Driscoll (70-68 -- 138, -6) T5, the runner-up here last year to Zach Johnson in a playoff, is in position to contend again at the Valero Texas Open at 6-under-par 138 through two rounds. Driscoll has made five-of-11 cuts on the year with his best result a T14 at the Shell Houston Open.

• Aaron Baddeley (66), Ernie Els (67), James Nitties (67), Zach Johnson (68), Cameron Percy (68), Sergio Garcia (68), Garrett Willis (68), Jay Williamson (69) and Charlie Wi (70) all posted bogey-free rounds in the second round.

• Tommy Armour III withdrew after nine holes due to allergies.

• Chris DiMarco was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. Mike Standly was disqualified as well.