WASHINGTON – World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler put it all down to “solid golf” as he fired his second straight seven-under 64 on Friday to take a one-shot lead in the PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson, the Texan’s home tournament in Dallas.

The American’s round was less eventful than his effort in the first round, which featured two eagles and three bogeys along with six birdies.

On Friday he had eight birdies with just one bogey on the par-71 TPC Craig Ranch course and was one stroke clear of fellow American Ryan Palmer (65) and Canadian Mackenzie Hughes (64).

“Yeah, just solid golf,” Scheffler said. “I didn’t really struggle for too many pars out there, and I felt like I putted a little bit better today than yesterday.”

The 26-year-old opened his round with a nine-foot birdie at the 10th hole and rolled in a five-footer at 11th. He drained a 34-foot birdie putt at the 16th and got up and down for birdie at 18th.

After an 11-foot birdie at the third he made back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth, and followed his lone miscue of the day at the eighth with a birdie at the ninth.

The former Masters champion admitted it would be an extra thrill to win the tournament where he made his PGA Tour debut as a high school senior.

“I want to win a lot of tournaments,” he said. “This one being in the hometown, it would definitely be a lot of fun with the crowd behind me this weekend.”

A victory would also return Scheffler to world No. 1, but he said overtaking Jon Rahm atop the rankings and winning in Dallas are not his focus.

“That’s not stuff that occupies too many of my thoughts,” he said.

“I don’t want to place too much emphasis on one tournament. I just want to go out and do my best and see where that puts me.”

There is plenty riding on the weekend for Palmer, too, and he did not mind admitting how much he wants to win a tournament played just a stone’s throw from where he lives.

The 46-year-old said that would be even more satisfying than the berth for next week’s PGA Championship a victory would bring.

“I’d win this tournament and stay home next week, to be honest with you,” he said. “This means more to me.”

South Korea’s Kim Si-woo carded a 66 to lie two further strokes back of Palmer and Hughes on 11-under 131.

Noh Seung-yul, who tied the course record with an opening-round 60, slipped back with a three-over 74. AFP