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IRVING, Texas -- Guan Tianlang chose to dwell on the lessons learned and not the fact that after playing in three PGA tournaments with the best players in the world, he finally missed his first cut.

The 14-year-old amateur sensation from China lost his chance at remaining for the weekend after a second-round 77 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship on Friday. He finished with a 36-hole total of 147. Players shooting 141 and higher missed the cut.

"I just think I learned a lot in these last two rounds and just didn’t play my best out there today, and I still learned a lot. I still have a lot more to learn," he said.

Guan gained attention by making the cut at the Masters in April and again at the tour stop in New Orleans, becoming the youngest to make a cut on the PGA Tour.

On Friday, the damage came early for Guan. He double-bogeyed his third hole and, after a birdie, finished his first nine with five consecutive bogeys for a 41. Then the eighth-grader settled down and was 1 under through the first eight holes of his second nine, but he finished with a double-bogey.

"The last couple of holes on the first nine, I think I didn’t play bad, just got in the wind and got some bad luck, but that’s golf," Guan said.

"I calmed myself down a little bit and got better on the back nine."

Guan said he is unsure of his schedule but he has a couple of tournament invitations.

Local favorite: Jordan Spieth made it to the weekend a couple of times at the Nelson while in high school at Dallas Jesuit.

He made it again this year, but as a professional with a shot at a paycheck. Spieth followed an opening-round 69 with a 68 on Friday and is tied for 30th at 3 under.

He said he thinks the difference between those first two starts at this tournament and this week has nothing to do with money.

"It's the fact that I've been playing with a pretty full schedule and obviously this isn't the only one you're prepping for and it's one that I single out, but it's an event in a long stretch of a PGA Tour year," he said.

He said he felt more "loose and settled in" this time.

In his first two appearances at the Nelson, Spieth finished tied for 16th in 2010 and tied for 32nd in 2011.

Since turning pro, the 19-year-old has recorded three top-10s and has $699,472 in earnings.

Sweet recovery: No doubt in Ryan Palmer’s mind which of his shots stood out the most in a second-round 68. He pointed to a 6-iron on a 175-yard third shot to the par-5 16th that he "flushed" to within 5 feet.

"That had to be my best shot of the day," said the Colleyville resident, who converted the putt and made birdie on a hole on which he encountered tree trouble because of his tee shot.

Palmer opened with a 65 and is tied for fourth at 7 under.

Huh in the mix: John Huh is tied for fourth at 7 under. The Lewisville resident shot a second-round 64 with eight birdies.

"A 64 is not too bad right now," Huh said. "I drove the ball beautifully and made some putts, so I’m pleased with the way I played today."

Notes: Duffy Waldorf, the last of six alternates to gain late entry this week, not only made the cut but finds himself tied for 13th after a second consecutive 68. ... John Daly will be around for the weekend after shooting a 66 that included six birdies. He’s tied for 30th at 3 under. ... Former UT-Arlington golfer Zack Fischer shot 65 on Friday to easily make the cut. Fischer, a native of Texarkana, earned his Nelson spot in open qualifying. He's tied for 43rd at 2 under.

IRVING, Texas -- Local pro Ryan Palmer puts ultimate trust in caddie James Edmondson’s club decisions in just one tournament every year -- the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

PODCAST
Ian Fitzsimmons and Chuck Cooperstein, broadcasting live from the Pavilion at the HP Byron Nelson, are joined by Keegan Bradley, who shot a 10-under 60 in the opening round. Listen

"This is the one week, his week. He might as well be in here," Palmer said in a post-round interview following a 5-under 65 that has him in a tie for sixth.

When the 36-year-old Colleyville resident asks his caddie for a distance, all he gets is a club.

"I found myself looking at the yardage a little more, but he wouldn’t give it to me. He would say 'hit this 8-iron' and I was like 'how far is it?' It’s kind of strange."

The first time Palmer let Edmondson do the steering at the 2011 Nelson, Palmer made it to a playoff. His Nelson track record prior to that was not impressive.

"I’ve been able to keep that feeling the last couple of years," Palmer said. "I think I’ve shot 65 Thursday every year, or 64 maybe."

It has been an emotional week for Palmer since learning of the death of lifelong friend Clay Aderholt, who was killed in a traffic accident in the San Antonio area seven days ago.

Palmer wore a cap with his friend's initials on Sunday when he finished fifth at The Players Championship. Palmer said he signed that cap and gave it to Reid, his friend’s 4-year-old son and gave a black one to Clay’s dad.

"Maybe we can honor him even more on Sunday afternoon," Palmer said.

Young guns: Jordan Spieth, 19, who made headlines in this event as an amateur, opened with a five-birdie, four-bogey 69 in his first Nelson round as a professional. The only amateur in the event this year, 14-year-old Chinese sensation Guan Tianlang, opened with an even par 70.

Practical jokers: Pair Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia and watch sparks fly. Pair Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner and expect a practical joke.

"He loves to mess with me," Bradley said of Dufner.

Before the two Ryder Cup teammates played together Thursday, Bradley found his clubs scattered about in the locker room.

"I left my clubs, which is a huge mistake," Bradley said. "It was my fault. He took my clubs out and they were all over."

Bradley, who fired a 10-under 60 on Thursday, said he is a little reluctant to retaliate.

"I’m too scared to do anything too much because I don’t know what he will do," Bradley said. "He could throw my clubs in the water or something. I did remove something from this locker and he’s going to need it. We’ll see if he can find it."

Bradley and Dufner, joined by Matt Kuchar, draw a 12:20 tee time for Friday’s second round.

International flavor: Of Thursday’s 52 pairings of threesomes, only one was composed entirely of internationals.

The grouping of Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel and Angel Cabrera seemed to feed off each other’s company, combining to go 14-under.

South African Schwartzel, playing in his first Nelson, led the group with a 7-under 63, two strokes better than Argentina’s Cabrera. Kaymer, a German, shot 2-under.

No delay: Following thunderstorms that drenched the course, workers at TPC Four Seasons were at it early before Round 1, sacking over 100 bags of debris that washed up from a creek that cuts through the course. Most of the debris was on holes 9, 11 and 14. Play began on time at 7 a.m.

IRVING, Texas -- The afternoon wave is finding TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas much more difficult on Day 1 of the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

PODCAST
Ian Fitzsimmons and Chuck Cooperstein, broadcasting live from the Pavilion at the HP Byron Nelson, are joined by Keegan Bradley, who shot a 10-under 60 in the opening round. Listen

Calm, cool conditions prevailed for those lucky enough to draw early tee times. But the afternoon brought with it wind and humidity.

Keegan Bradley leads after a course-record 10-under 60. The current top nine scores were all posted by morning starters.

Among those in the afternoon wave, Marc Leishman, Patrick Reed and Andrew Svoboda are all 4-under with holes remaining.

In other afternoon play of interest, Dallas’ 19-year-old Jordan Spieth is even after 14 and 14-year-old Chinese prodigy Guan Tianlang is 1-under through 11 holes.

IRVING, Texas – It's time for the start of the North Texas swing on the PGA Tour, and that begins with a stop in the backyard of the late Byron Nelson.

PODCAST
Lance Paczkowski, the marshal and escort for Tiger Woods last weekend, joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what happened with Woods and Sergio Garcia. Listen

The HP Byron Nelson Championship, as it has for the past few years, is trying to make the most of being the tournament directly after The Players Championship. There won't be any rematch of feuding golfers Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia, for instance. Neither is in the field. Phil Mickelson isn't here, either.

But there are some top Americans and international players competing at the TPC Four Seasons Resort & Club this week. Let's take a look at some of the golfers to watch in the event, which starts Thursday:

Jason Dufner: All this talk about "Dufnering" doesn't happen without the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Dufner, the defending champion, arrived in Dallas in March and appeared slumped over and out of it as kids were busy reading a story in a classroom at J. Erik Jonsson, a school supported by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, which also runs the Nelson. The photo went viral even before Dufner flew out of town and the golfer was a great sport about it. It helped publicize the tournament in a way no one expected.

But joking aside, Dufner can play. He won last year's event thanks to a clutch par putt on the final hole to beat surprise contender Dicky Pride, continuing his best career year. He was the runner-up to Zach Johnson the next week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He ended up on the Ryder Cup team and made more than $4.8 million last season.

Dufner's not as hot this season as he was coming into the event last year (after winning in New Orleans). He is still looking for his first top-10 of the season, though he’s made nine of 11 cuts. A final-round 80 dropped him out of a chance at a top-10 at The Players Championship last weekend.

Jason Day: He has to be one of the favorites here because of how well he plays in this event. He won it in 2010, his first time playing in the tournament, and has top-10s in his other two appearances. Day had a 68 in the final round of The Players, earning him a top-20 finish.

Day has played just twice since his third-place finish at the Masters and has made the cut in all 10 of his events in 2013. The Australian nearly withdrew before winning the Nelson in 2010. He felt ill because of medicine for a sinus infection, but stayed in the tournament and won by two strokes over Blake Adams, Brian Gay and Jeff Overton. It was a strange final hole that year as Day hit his approach shot into the water on 18, giving Adams, his playing partner, an opening. But Adams didn't know where Day hit his shot and he ended up in the water too. Day bogeyed the hole to get the win.

Matt Kuchar: He blew into the Nelson fresh off a win at The Players Championship last year. It's not the same in 2013, but Kuchar is as close to an automatic top finisher as you can get on the PGA Tour this year. He has made the cut in all 14 events he’s played and he’s got four top-10s. He likes the Nelson, making the cut in all five of his attempts. His best finish was a tie for sixth two years ago.

Keegan Bradley: It was the Nelson that marked the emergence of Bradley on the PGA Tour. He won rookie of the year honors that season -- 2011 -- and was the rookie of the year. That included a major victory at the PGA Championship that season. But it was the Nelson where he posted his first victory. And he did it coming from behind. He entered the final round four strokes back of Ryan Palmer and shot a 68 to tie Palmer and force a playoff. He won on the first playoff hole (the 18th). He won with a total of 3-under for the event, the highest in relation to par at the Nelson since 1981. It was windy and the players had a tough time, but Bradley survived. He has missed his last two cuts, but he has finished fifth or better in five tournaments this season.

Jordan Spieth: It was at age 16 that Spieth was the biggest story at the Nelson, getting himself into contention on Sunday before finishing tied for 16th as an amateur. He played well under pressure in his first PGA Tour event. Three years later, Spieth is 19 and a pro on the PGA Tour. He made the decision this year to take sponsor’s exemptions rather than go full time on the Web.com Tour. But for that to be smart, Spieth had to play well early in the season. He has, earning more exemptions and a chance to finish in the top-125 of the money list to earn his card for next season. The Dallas native has three top-10s this season already and is certainly comfortable in Irving.

Marc Leishman: I know he's probably not a familiar name to many, but in flipping through the top finishers at the Nelson the past four years, his name pops up. Leishman tied for third last year and was in the top-12 in three of his four Nelson appearances. He showed he could hang in under pressure at the Masters, tying for fourth. He posted two more top-10s since and can handle the wind. He’s one to watch.

Don't forget about: Ryan Palmer (two straight top-10s at this event); J.J. Henry (TCU alum has made 10 cuts in 11 appearances); Louis Oosthuizen (has major pedigree and playing well); Ben Crane (he's hot right now and had a top-10 at The Players).

The field for this week's HP Byron Nelson has been finalized and will feature recent former champions Jason Dufner, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley and Vijay Singh along with 14-year-old amateur Guan Tianlang of China and former Jesuit and Texas Longhorns standout Jordan Spieth.

PODCAST
Lance Paczkowski, the marshal and escort for Tiger Woods last weekend, joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what happened with Woods and Sergio Garcia. Listen

“We are thrilled with the quality, diversity and depth of our field,” 2013 tournament chairman Mike McKinley said in a release. “We have a great mix of young rising stars, PGA Tour veterans and a strong international contingent that I’m certain will have great appeal for our fans.”

Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson are also in a field that includes major champions Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel Padraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer, Y.E. Yang, Dallas' Justin Leonard, Mike Weir, Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman, Bradley and Singh.

The 2013 HP Byron Nelson Championship will be played May 13-19 at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas in Irving. Children 13 and under receive free admission, and free public parking and shuttle service is available at the intersection of SH 114 and Loop 12 in Irving (2000 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving). Fans may also travel by DART to the Northlake College Station, where free shuttles will be available to the main entrance.

Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old Chinese national who turned heads by making the cut and finishing as the low amateur at the Masters a few weeks ago, accepted a sponsor's exemption to play in the 2013 HP Byron Nelson Championship. The tournament is May 16-19 at TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas in Irving.

Guan is the reigning Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion, which earned him his invitation to the Masters.

"What Guan has been able to accomplish at such a young age is very impressive," 2013 tournament chairman Mike McKinley said in a release. "We have always had a tradition of identifying young talent and giving them an opportunity to compete at the Nelson, and we look forward to continuing that with Guan."

Guan joins Dallas native Jordan Spieth, another teenager, as the Nelson's two sponsor exemptions for this year's event.

Dustin Johnson and Marcel Siem also have committed to the event. Johnson, No. 19 in the Official World Golf Ranking, has one win this season and finished tied for 13th at the Masters.

HP Byron Nelson Championship officials announced Thursday that the past four Nelson Champions will be returning to TPC Four Seasons in May. Jason Dufner (2012), Keegan Bradley (2011), Jason Day (2010) and Rory Sabbatini (2009) have all committed to compete at the 2013 Nelson.

“We are proud of the continued successes and accomplishments of each of these HP Byron Nelson champions. They honor our tournament, our charity and the legacy of Byron Nelson by their loyalty and support,” 2013 tournament chairman Mike McKinley said in a release. “We are expecting an extremely strong field and their commitment to play in this year’s tournament will only add to the anticipation and excitement of another memorable championship.”

Former Texas Longhorn and Dallas Jesuit standout Jordan Spieth will also be playing after accepting a sponsor's exemption earlier this month.

The field will not be final until May 10. The Nelson will be played May 13-19 at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas in Irving.

Dallas native Jordan Spieth has accepted a sponsor's exemption to play in the 2013 HP Byron Nelson Championship on May 13-19 at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas in Irving. Spieth made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur in 2010 at the Nelson.

Spieth is coming off his best result as a pro, finishing tied for second last weekend at the Puerto Rico Open. He finished tied for 22nd at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am earlier this year.

"We know bright things are in store for Jordan as he begins his career on the PGA Tour," 2013 tournament chairman Mike McKinley said in a release. "He did so well here as an amateur and we are looking forward to welcoming him back and seeing him compete at this year's tournament."

The former Texas Longhorn and Dallas Jesuit standout has competed in the Nelson twice as an amateur, finishing tied for 16th in 2010 and tied for 32nd in 2011. Speith also finished as the low amateur at last year's U.S. Open.

Spieth has tied for fourth at the Colombia Championship and tied for seventh at the Panama Claro Championship on the Web.com Tour since turning professional in mid-December and has already guaranteed his spot in the Web.com Tour finals series at the end of the year, where players can earn their PGA Tour card.

Jordan Spieth, the 19-year-old phenom out of Jesuit Prep in Dallas, came very close to becoming the second-youngest winner in PGA Tour history as he finished tied for second at the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday.

Spieth (19 years, 7 months, 13 days) earned $308,000 and now has made $373,000 in just three PGA Tour starts as a professional. He had eight other starts as an amateur between 2010-12. Harry Cooper won the 1923 Galveston Open at the age of 19 years, 4 days.

“It was cool to battle on the back nine there and know that I was close in the heat and to feel the pressure,” said Spieth, who was playing on a sponsor's exemption and is now exempt for this week's Tampa Bay Championship. “It was a first-time experience for me.”

Jesuit graduate Jordan Spieth will tee it up with the big boys on the PGA Tour this weekend at the Puerto Rico Open after receiving a sponsor exemption. He'll be paired with Patrick Cantlay and 2010 U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein during the first two rounds.

Spieth finished tied for fourth in last week's Web.com Colombia Championship. A non-member of the tour, it was the second top-10 finish this season for the 19-year-old Spieth, who tied for seventh in Panama. He now needs only $4,649 in Web.com earnings to earn a special temporary membership and become the youngest player on tour.

IRVING, Texas – Tony Romo has become a fixture at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am over the years, playing with John Daly and Tiger Woods. This week he will partner up with Dallas’ Jordan Spieth at the prestigious event.

Spieth earned a sponsor’s exemption into the field and will play at least three rounds with Romo.

Romo and Spieth have played competitively together at the Azalea Invitational, an amateur tournament in South Carolina, as well as in friendly rounds in Dallas.

Spieth, who led Texas to a national championship before turning pro, was unable to earn his PGA Tour card through Qualifying School but will play in several PGA Tour events in 2013. He missed the cut at his first event, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

University of Texas sophomore golfer Jordan Spieth turned professional Friday, ending his amateur career.

The 19-year-old Dallas native was the Big 12 player of the year and freshman of the year last season, helping Texas win the 2012 NCAA championship.

Spieth won U.S. Junior Amateur titles in 2009 and '11. Tiger Woods is the only other golfer with more than one U.S. Junior Amateur title.

"The decision to turn pro was a difficult one, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of competing at the highest level and accomplishing the many goals I've set for myself on and off the course," Spieth said in a news release sent out by the school Friday. "I owe everything I've achieved thus far to the support of my family, friends, teammates, and The University of Texas. While I'm proud of what my teammates and I have accomplished, I couldn't be more excited to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a professional golfer."

Spieth made national news as a 16-year-old high school student in Dallas when he was in contention midway through the final round of the PGA Tour's Byron Nelson Championship in 2010 before slipping a bit on the back nine and finishing tied for 16th.

Read the whole story here.

SAN FRANCISCO -- For most of the week, Andy Zhang and Beau Hossler have been the main attractions in the pool of amateur players at the U.S. Open. Hossler continues to stay around the leaderboard, but Zhang is done after rounds of 79-78.

Besides Hossler, two other amateurs made the cut: Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay. On Saturday, Spieth had a 1-under-par 69 to take his three-day total to 7-over par. It was his first round in the 60s in a major.

"Looking back, I felt like I played really well today," Spieth said. "I hit most of the fairways and most of the greens and my putter felt good. I only missed one or two shots, so that's just what a U.S. Open does."

Regardless of how Spieth plays in the final round, he's already secured something more valuable. By making the cut here at Olympic, he is exempt into the second stage of Q-school in the fall, where he will try to earn his PGA Tour card as an amateur.

"Watching the scores yesterday, that was the main thing on my mind, not necessarily playing on the weekend," said the Dallas native who just finished his freshman year at Texas.

If Spieth stays another couple of years, Hossler will join him on the Longhorn golf team in the Fall of 2013.

On Sunday, Spieth will be in a battle with his future teammate as well as Cantlay for low amateur. It will be an exciting second act.

Farrell Evans covers golf for ESPN and can be contacted at evans.espn@gmail.com.

SAN FRANCISCO -- After playing his first 10 holes in even par, amateur Jordan Spieth got stung by what many here at the Olympic Club are calling the most difficult six-hole stretch to start a golf course.

The University of Texas freshman and former Dallas Jesuit phenom bogeyed four of the first five holes on the front nine to shoot a 4-over 74.

Spieth, who is making his first major championship appearance, only got into the U.S. Open after PGA Tour pro Brandt Snedeker withdrew with a rib injury.

Starting on No. 9 due to the routing that has players going off the first and ninth tees, the 18-year-old Spieth parred his first two holes. A bogey at No. 11 dropped him to 1 over, but he got that shot back with a birdie at the short par-3 15th hole.

He gave another one back with a bogey at the monstrously long par-5 16th hole that measures 670 yards but again rebounded with birdie at the shorter par-5 17th hole.

Kevin Maguire is the senior golf editor for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Kevin.Maguire@espn.com.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Jordan Spieth only got into the U.S. Open after PGA Tour pro Brandt Snedeker withdrew with a rib injury. The Texas freshman and former Dallas Jesuit phenom is so far making the most of his first major championship appearance.

Starting on No. 9 at Olympic Club due to the routing that has players going off the first and ninth tees, Spieth parred his first two holes. A bogey at No. 11 dropped him to 1 over, but he got that shot back with a birdie at the short par-3 15th hole.

He gave another one back with a bogey at the monstrously long par-5 16th hole that measures 670 yards but again rebounded with birdie at the shorter par-5 17th hole.

The 18-year-old made the turn at even par with the most difficult stretch of holes -- Nos. 1-6 -- still ahead.

Kevin Maguire is the senior golf editor for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Kevin.Maguire@espn.com.