Golf: Beckman makes magical turnaround

Cameron Beckman arrived at the Byron Nelson Championship yesterday in jeopardy of missing the cut - and left in first place.

Beckman turned around his delayed opening round with a pair of birdies for a 69, then tied the TPC Four Seasons course record - and set a personal best - with a 61 in the second round.

He is at 10-under 130, tied for the lead with PGA Tour rookie Blake Adams. First round co-leader Jason Day is alone at 131.

The rest of the leaderboard includes something for all ages - from 16-year-old Jordan Spieth to 47-year-old Steve Elkington. Spieth is a local high school student who became the sixth-youngest player ever to make the cut at a PGA event. He is 3 under 137, tied for 22nd.

Elkington has been playing this event since before Spieth was born. He got in when someone else withdrew on Sunday and has shot consecutive 66s.

Beckman won a Tour event for the first time a few months ago, but it was against a weak field and he has struggled ever since.

He admits to "maybe a little lull after the win, I lost a little focus", such as working on getting a pilot's licence. Three hard weeks of practice, and ironing out a flaw in his alignment seem to have made a big difference.

Adams is a 34-year-old rookie who spent the past three years on the Nationwide Tour and whose career story is a tale of perseverance. He, too, was part of that cluster at the top after the first round, then piled up six birdies on his way to a 64. Since turning pro in 2001, he has had a bulging disc in his back, arthritis, bone spurs, a cyst and a hip that needs to be replaced. Therapy on the hip in late 2008 and early 2009 helped launch him onto the Tour, where he's been able to take advantage of the physical therapy trailer.

"I've always believed in myself, like any athlete does," Adams said. "I knew that if I was healthy that I could do things."

Day is a 22-year-old Australian who has long been hailed as a future star.

"The goal tomorrow and the next day is to stay patient and try and give myself a chance to make the birdies," Day said.

Spieth opened the day needing to finish seven holes from his suspended opening round, which was at even par. He made a pair of birdies to finish at 68, took about a half-hour break, then shot 69 in the second round. He had three birdies and two bogeys. He followed his second bogey by jerking an approach into a bunker he was trying to avoid. He chipped close enough to make birdie. On No 18, he thrilled a gallery filled with screaming teenagers by landing a shot 12 feet from the cup.

Elkington once a star, won 10 PGA Tour events in the 1990s, including a major. He hasn't won since 1999, and hasn't finished better than 54th on the money list, more often landing in the 100s. He missed the cut here the last two years.

"I had a great 90s, I didn't do much in the last decade, so I'm glad that's over with, you know?" he said. "Last year, for example, I had rounds where I played one day like Sam Snead the next day like Sam Sausage. I did that last week in San Antonio."

He is eager to see if he can put together two more days like the last two.

Vijay Singh and Fowler both missed the cut, so missed an automatic spot in the US Open. New Zealand's Tim Wilkinson also missed the cut.

Meanwhile Tiger Woods' former swing coach, Hank Haney, says he is relieved to have parted ways with the world No 1 after six years of working with him.

The 54-year-old decided to quit last week after Woods failed to reject criticism directed at Haney in the wake of the world No 1 missing the cut at the Quail Hollow Championship.

"I wish he had stood up in a press conference and announced, at the very least, that he was sick of all the criticism, that he backed me and that he believed in me," says Haney. "But he never did."

The experienced coach made the decision to end his association with Woods after the golfer instead insisted that the pair were still working together.

"It was a tough decision, one I went back and forth on many times," Haney said. "I sent him a text. I wished him the best and told him I hope he finds someone else to help him. He first responded: 'Thanks'. Then two seconds later he said again: 'We're just taking a break right?' I told him: 'No, we're done'.

Despite their split, Haney - who won six majors with Woods - hopes his former client can rediscover his best form after a troubled return to the US Tour.

"My record with him is what it is; it will never be approached," he said. "In the past two and a half years Tiger has won 44 per cent of his tournaments. He's been in the top 10 for 85 per cent of the time. All I can say is: 'Good luck'."