The cream rose to the top as Adam Scott used a hot start to take the clubhouse lead during the second round at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.
Scott birdied his first four holes, but struggled a little after that in gusty winds, shooting a three under par 67 at the Four Seasons TPC.
He posted a five under par halfway total of 135, one stroke ahead of fellow Australian Mark Hensby (67) with half the field back in the clubhouse.
Ryan Moore, Justin Leonard and Parker McLachlin were two shots behind.
World number 10 Scott, the highest ranked player in a field sadly lacking in star power, said: “It was a fast start, but after that it was a bit of a battle, a fair bit of scrambling going on.
“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, but I’m pretty happy. It was just a matter of hanging in there.”
Second-placed Hensby had his best round of the year and said: “It’s nice to actually get up there and hopefully give myself a chance on Sunday to win, because that’s what you practice for.”