IRVING, Texas — Golf fans of all ages, the Byron Nelson Championship has something for you this weekend.
Kids, check out 16-year-old Jordan Spieth. He’s a high school junior who played hooky this week to make his PGA Tour debut, becoming the first prep to take on the pros here since Tiger Woods in 1993. Woods didn’t make the cut then, but Spieth cleared it with ease Friday, becoming the sixth-youngest player to do so at a Tour event.
“I don’t want to think of myself as the amateur out here. I want to think of myself as a contender,” said Spieth, who is tied for 22nd at 3-under-par 137.
“He’s just playing the way he’s capable of playing,” said Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback who befriended Spieth months ago and joined his gallery for the final three holes.
For folks who’ve been following the sport since long before Spieth was born, the guy to watch is 47-year-old Steve Elkington. He got into the field as an alternate Sunday, when someone else dropped out, then shot a 66 to become part of a seven-way tie for the lead. He followed with another 66, putting him two shots behind the lead.
Tied for the second-round lead at 10-under 130 are: Blake Adams (64) and Cameron Beckman (61).
Footnotes.
Michelle Wie easily advanced to the round of 16 in the Sybase Match Play Championship, beating Hee Young Park 5 and 4 in Gladstone, N.J. She will face Karine Icher, who beat beat Eun-Hee Ji 2 and 1, this morning.
• Luke Donald shot a second 3-under 68 to take a one-shot lead over Ross Fisher (70), James Kingston (69) and Danny Willett (72) after the second round of the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth, England.
