Richard Coughlan once again demonstrated his resilient character when firing a second-round 68 to survive the cut in the $2.5 million Byron Nelson Classic at TPC at Colinas in Texas yesterday, but it proved to be another frustrating occasion for his compatriot Keith Nolan, from Bray, who missed out by a shot.

Starting the day at even par, Coughlan - playing his second round on the Four Seasons resort course - produced a two-underpar score for 138 to make the cut by one stroke. It is the eighth cut that the Birr player has made in his rookie season on the US Tour.

However, he enters the weekend seven shots behind the second-round leader, veteran Hal Sutton, who produced a 65 to add to his opening 66 which gave him a midway total of nine under par 131.

Nolan, meanwhile, struggled to rediscover the form he showed in the first round when he had an opening 68 on the Four Seasons course. On the Cottonwood Valley course, he had a two-over 72 for 140 and the real damage was incurred over the closing holes with bogeys at the 14th, 16th and 18th which meant he missed out on the weekend and the chance to earn much-needed prize-money in his quest to keep his card.

Sutton established a one-shot halfway lead over Harrison Frazar, with Fred Couples, Robert Damron and Bob Friend a further shot back. Tiger Woods, the defending champion, had a second round 71 for a four-under-par total of 136.