GOLF ROUNDUP: Albany’s Skinner on pace to make cut at Senior PGA Championship; 17-year-old Texan shining once again at PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson as Garcia, Palmer lead

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Not much changed about Albany golf pro Sonny Skinner’s standing at the Senior PGA Championship on Friday during the second round.

What did become clearer, however, is the fact Skinner will likely make the cut for the first time at a major.

After shooting even par during the first round Thursday to finish tied for 22nd, Skinner stayed steady Friday and was even through 13 holes (good for a tie for 29th) at the famed Valhalla Golf Club course before his round — which didn’t tee off until 7 p.m. — was halted due to darkness. He was one of 31 golfers in the 152-player field who weren’t able to finish their rounds as that group will now return bright and early this morning to do so, weather permitting.

As it stands right now, the projected cut line is 4-over, meaning Skinner is in good shape to make the first cut at a major in three career tries. He played in the 2008 and 2010 PGA Championship, but missed the cut both times.

Also of note is the fact that of the 40 club pros like Skinner playing in the field, the River Pointe teaching pro has the second-best score. Villanova golf coach Stu Ingraham (1-under) is tied for 22nd.

Kiyoshi Murota shot a 5-under 67 on Friday to take a four-stroke lead in the Senior PGA Championship over a glittering scoreboard that includes Nick Price, Hale Irwin and Tom Watson.

Price polished off a 70 and was 7-under along with Irwin, a three-time U.S. Open champion who has won the Senior PGA four times. Irwin, who turns 66 next week, had rounds of 69 and 68.

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SPIETH MAKES CUT IN TEXAS, SET FOR GRADUATION TONIGHT:

IRVING, Texas — Jordan Spieth is going to be late for his high school graduation ceremony Saturday, if he makes it at all. The teenager has another round of golf with PGA Tour players at the Byron Nelson Championship.

For the second year in a row, the local Dallas amateur made the cut at the Nelson.

After a 2-under 68 in the second round Friday, Spieth was 3 under. That put him in a tie for eighth place, five strokes behind co-leaders Sergio Garcia and Ryan Palmer.

The ceremony for Spieth and the other 245 seniors in Dallas’ Jesuit Prep’s graduating class starts at 4 p.m. Saturday, at an auditorium on the SMU campus about 20 miles from TPC Four Seasons. Spieth tees off at 11:21 a.m.

“Right after the round …. I’m going to shoot over there is quickly as possible,” Spieth said. “I don’t know how long (graduation) usually lasts.”

Because diplomas are handed out in alphabetical order, the 17-year-old Spieth (pronounced SPEE-th) figures that will at least buy him some extra time.

“Exactly,” he said, smiling. “Should be at least an hour into it, be toward the end.”

After tying for 16th at the Nelson last year, and still within three strokes of the lead after 10 holes in the final round, Spieth received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the tournament again this week.

“I want to win,” Spieth said. “I’m confident. Staying loose and seeing my friends in the crowd and feeding off the crowd helps me.”

Spieth, a U.S. Junior Amateur champion who plans to attend the University of Texas, had one of the larger galleries following him during the second round Friday.

“To be on this stage as a senior in high school, at 17, it’s impressive,” Palmer said. “I’m starting to wonder if he’s thinking about four years of college or just one year.”

Since his breakthrough in last year’s Nelson, Spieth had played the TPC Four Seasons course three or four more times. He also got to play another round with former President George W. Bush, who lives in Dallas and has worked with Spieth’s instructor.

“If I remember right, he came up to my dad and I right when we got out there and told us what game we were going to play,” Spieth said. “There was no reason to hold back, because he came out calling me names that I shouldn’t mention.

“It was easy to have fun with him out there,” Spieth added. “Hopefully, we’ll get to go out there again. It was fun. Didn’t feel like you were playing with anyone extremely important like he is, which is cool.”

Spieth had an opening 1-under 69 at this week’s Nelson that included a double bogey and three bogeys. On those same four holes Friday, he had birdies on each of them. That included a 26-foot birdie putt at the 441-yard 12th hole after a double bogey there Thursday.

He was 5 under before two bogeys in his final five holes Friday, when winds were starting to gust to around 30 mph.

While the pros might have the edge on experience, Spieth has been able to put his entire focus on getting ready for this week.

“For me, I spent the whole entire last month preparing for this, getting out here and preparing my game for this golf course. That’s a huge advantage,” Spieth said. “Whereas these guys are traveling, you know, sometimes four, five weeks at a time, they get worn out, maybe not playing their best golf here. And I prepare just to play my best golf for this event.”