Aussie Scott seizes lead at Byron Nelson golf

Aussie Adam Scott made birdie on the first four holes en route to posting a three-under 67 in the second round of the Byron Nelson Championship.

"It was a fast start, but after that, (it) was a bit of a battle, a fair bit of scrambling going on," Scott said after posting a 5-under 135 total, one shot better than fellow Australians Mark Hensby (67) and Mathew Goggin (69) and Californian Scott McCarron (66).

"The conditions were tricky. It was hard to hit fairways and hard to hit greens. It would have been nice to get a couple more (birdies) after my start this morning, but I'm pretty happy. I'm still in good shape."

World No. 10 Scott, the highest-ranked player in the field, won the European Tour's Qatar Masters with a brilliant closing 61, but has not otherwise made many headlines.

He was a never a factor at the Masters, playing the first two holes in a cumulative four-over, but battled on to finish tied for 25th, certainly no disgrace but not quite what he had in mind.

"I've played pretty good all year," he said. "I haven't scored my best but it's been a matter of putting four days together. That's why I came back. I felt I was still playing good and shouldn't waste that (time) at home."

Scott's 67 was one of the better scores in winds that whipped to more than 48 kilometres per hour (30 mph), with Frank Lickliter's 65 the day's best round.

The fact that Hensby is in contention is surprising, considering his terrible start to the year. He made just two cuts in nine starts.

"It's been getting a little better, but not much is happening," said Hensby, who recently started working with swing coach Mike Bender, whose most prominent client is 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson.

McCarron has also endured lean times, not playing at all last year as he recovered from elbow surgery.

"It was about a year and one month until I was able to swing and hit balls without too much pain," he said.

Only eight strokes separated the 76 players who made the cut.

Among those bowing out were Trevor Immelman and John Daly. Immelman is clearly tired after his Masters triumph.