Former security guard Jake Knapp leads the Byron Nelson after 2 rounds

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Jake Knapp is spending his weekends much differently now as a rookie on the PGA Tour, just more than two years after working security at a restaurant in his hometown that was also a late-night hotspot.

A first-time Tour winner earlier this year, Knapp went into this weekend leading the CJ Cup Byron Nelson after a second consecutive 7-under 64 on Friday. At 14-under 128, he was a stroke ahead of Troy Merritt (62) and first-round leader Matt Wallace (66), and two ahead of Kelly Kraft (66).

“Even when I was doing any of that stuff, I always knew this was what I wanted to do, and felt like it’s where I should be. Just wasn’t there yet,” Knapp said. “Just kept working away and sticking at it."

Merritt closed is season-low round with an eagle at the 531-yard ninth hole, where he hit his approach to 16 feet and made that putt. He had birdied four of the previous six holes.

Wallace finished on the same par 5 later in the day, and saved par after driving into a native area and then chunking a shot from there to under a bridge.

Hometown favorite Jordan Spieth, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 20, shot a 70 to finish at 4-under 138 and miss the cut by two strokes. On the 16th, his wayward drive ricocheted off the elbow of a male spectator back into the fairway. He still bogeyed the hole, then parred his last two.

Defending champion Jason Day closed his round with a 35-foot par putt for a 70, and was just on the cut line at 6-under 136.

Kris Kim, a 16-year-old from England, made the cut in his PGA Tour debut, shooting 68-67 to enter the weekend 7 under. His South Korean-born mother played on the LPGA Tour in the 1990s. He is the first amateur sponsored by South Korean Company CJ Group, the first-year sponsor of the Nelson, and is playing on a sponsor exemption.

Spieth was a 16-year-old amateur at the Nelson in 2010, when the Dallas native tied for 16th in his first PGA Tour start.

Knapp’s only bogey through the first two rounds was on his 12th hole Friday, the dogleg No. 3, where his drive went into the left rough. But he birdied four of his last six holes, that stretch starting with a 32-foot putt at the par-3, 192-yard fourth hole.

“Obviously, a putt you’re not trying to make,” he said. “Hit it a little bit harder than I would’ve liked and luckily it was on a good line and went in.”

Knapp, who turns 30 on May 31, lost his card on the developmental Korn Ferry Tour before taking the part-time job in the fall of 2021 at the place in Costa Mesa, California, where for nearly nine months he worked Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights — often until 2 or 3 a.m. The former UCLA player would practice and go to the gym in between his work shifts.

He got his third win on PGA Tour Canada in August 2022, and last year earned his PGA Tour card by finishing the season 13th on the Korn Ferry Tour. He won the Mexico Open in his fifth start this season, and his ninth overall, including two as an amateur in 2015.

His PGA Tour biography also touts that he can solve a Rubik’s Cube, loves to work out and would pursue a career in the fitness industry if he wasn’t playing golf.

“Yeah, few interesting ones about me,” Knapp said. “I do my best to, I’m kind of a golf-only guy. Just play a lot of golf and practice a lot. That’s been my focus for the last four, five years.”

At TPC Craig Ranch north of Dallas, Knapp hit 16 of 18 greens each of the first two rounds. He also had the same number of putts (28) both days, though the combined distance of those shots on the greens went from 75 feet on Thursday to 139 feet on Friday.

“For the most part hitting it pretty solid and keeping in the right areas. Made it relatively easy on myself.” Knapp said. “Early on in the year felt like I was putting well, and for the last month or so the stroke felt the same and ball wasn’t going in the hole. ... Nice to see a few more going in.”

Merritt opened his round with consecutive birdies before a three-putt bogey at No. 12, though he got that stroke right back with a 52-foot chip-in at No. 13. He made only his second cut in his past six tournaments, and finished 67th in the other one.

“It’s fantastic, especially when you hit the ball solid and making a lot putts," said Merritt, who is in his 331st PGA Tour event and last won in 2018. “You’re not accidentally there. You’ve actually played well to get there. I haven’t done that. I’ve accidently back-doored a couple top 10s last fall."

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Matt Wallace of England hits an approach shot on the 13th hole during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jason Day hits from the bunker on the sixth green during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jordan Spieth stretches to see where his shot from the rough landed on the sixth green during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jake Knapp waves on the 18th hole during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jordan Spieth gestures as the gallery applauds his putt on the sixth green during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Kelly Kraft hits an approach shot on the sixth hole during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jake Knapp putts on the 18th hole during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Matt Wallace of England lines up a putt on the 13th hole during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jake Knapp lines up a putt on the 18th hole during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

DENVER (AP) — Matt Duchene scored at 11:42 of the second overtime after being involved in a play that led to a goal disallowed for goaltender interference in the first extra period, and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference final with a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 on Friday night.

Duchene, a former draft pick of the Avalanche, secured a loose puck in front of the net and sent it over a sprawled out Alexandar Georgiev. Duchene took off down the ice and slid on his knees in celebration.

Dallas advances to face either Edmonton or Vancouver next. It’s the second straight trip to the conference final for the Stars, who lost last season to eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas. The Stars won their only Stanley Cup title in 1999.

Jamie Benn tied the game at 1:56 of the third period. Mason Marchment thought he scored the winner with 7:29 left in the first overtime but it was waved off for goaltender interference. The play was reviewed and the call on the ice stood. Duchene was jostling with Cale Makar in front of Georgiev, leading to a call. The NHL’s situation room explained that Duchene impaired Georgiev’s ability to play his position in the crease.

Jake Oettinger was stellar all night in making 29 saves. One of his biggest was a close-range shot from Artturi Lehkonen down low midway through the second OT.

This was a series in which the road team won five of six games, including the Stars taking all three in Denver. The Avalanche were the top home team in the regular season, while the Stars had the best road record.

Dallas joins Florida and the New York Rangers as teams that closed out a second-round series in six games. It’s just the third postseason to have three Round 2 matchups decided in six games (1999 and 2004).

It was a tumultuous postseason for Colorado, with Valeri Nichushkin suspended before Game 4 for violating terms of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

Colorado scored the opening goal of the game for the first time in the series when Mikko Rantanen sent a wrist shot over Oettinger early in the second period on a power play.

Cale Makar had an assist to give him 80 career playoff points in 72 games played. He’s the fifth defenseman in NHL history to amass 80 career postseason points in 80 or fewer games, joining Bobby Orr (66 games), Paul Coffey (67), Brian Leetch (70) and Al MacInnis (71).

Both team were missing forwards, with Roope Hintz out for Dallas and Yakov Trenin for Colorado.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Colorado Avalanche center Casey Mittelstadt, left, pushes Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene, center, against Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev during the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene, left, has his shot blocked by Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev during the first overtime of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin, left, and Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn reach for the puck during the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars left wings Jamie Benn, left, and Jason Robertson warm up before Game 6 of the team's NHL hockey playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen, center, works for position in front of the net against Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell, right, as goaltender Jake Oettinger stops a shot during the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, left, congratulates right wing Mikko Rantanen for a goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, left, tries to knock the puck away from Colorado Avalanche right wing Brandon Duhaime during the first period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Andrew Cogliano stumbles next to Dallas Stars center Craig Smith during the first period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger makes a glove save against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen, right, is congratulated for a goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene, front, pursues the puck, in front of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews during the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)