Sports

Simpson, Armour share lead

August 20, 2017
Webb Simpson plays his tee shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, Friday. — AFP
Webb Simpson plays his tee shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, Friday. — AFP

GREENSBORO, NC — Former US Open winner Webb Simpson fired a six-under 64 Friday to grab a share of the lead with fellow American Ryan Armour at the halfway stage of the US PGA Tour Wyndham Championship.

Simpson, who won the US Open in 2012 in San Francisco, made four birdies on a bogey-free back nine, while Armour birdied four straight holes en route to a nine-under par 61.

The pair were tied at 13-under 127 for a one-shot lead over Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who led the morning groups with a four-under 66 at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“We’re obviously close to where I grew up,” said Simpson, who comes from North Carolina. “I grew up playing courses similar to this that aren’t too long, hit different clubs off the tee, some doglegs.

“There’s a comfort here that I feel like I don’t have at a lot of places. I’ve always loved playing close to home. That’s part of it as well.”

Simpson, who won his first PGA Tour event in North Carolina in 2011, had to overcome back-to-back bogeys on the front nine, while Armour drained a total of nine birdies.

Vaughn Taylor (66) and Ollie Schniederjans (63), who birdied three of his last four holes, were tied for fourth at 11-under.

Hunter Mahan (65) Kevin Na (63) and former winner Davis Love (66) are next at 10 under. Mahan had his second consecutive 65.

Stenson, the highest-ranked golfer in the field at ninth in the world, carded birdies on three of four holes during one stretch as he finished on the front side.

One of the most entertaining rounds of Friday belonged to Johnson Wagner, who shot 64 despite ending with a bogey. He is nine-under for the tournament in a group of five golfers that also includes Ireland’s Shane Lowry (64) and American Harold Varner (68).

Wagner posted an albatross — a double eagle on the par-five fifth hole after holing out his second shot, marking the second one of his US PGA Tour career. Ten holes later, he posted an eagle.

First-round leader Matt Every shot a two-over 72 and was tied for 19th.

This is the last tournament of the regular season before the FedEx Cup playoffs, so golfers such as Varner and Mahan need good finishes to qualify for the playoff events.

Ormsby surges ahead

Wade Ormsby surprised even himself as his putter ran hot on the homeward stretch to take the outright lead after the third round of the Fiji International Saturday.

The 37-year-old fired a six-under 66 to finish the day at 10-under 206, one stroke ahead of fellow Australian Jason Norris who lost the tournament lead when he made a triple-bogey on the 16th hole.

“It was a bit of a surprise coming up the last. I hadn’t seen too many leaderboards for the day but obviously very happy with it,” said Ormsby, who had seven birdies in his last 11 holes.

James Marchesani also finished strongly, making six birdies on the back nine in a round of 67 to move into third place, two strokes behind Ormsby at eight-under.

Gavin Hend, one of four co-leaders at the halfway stage, shot an even-par 72 to be tied with Peter Wilson and Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent at seven-under. — Agencies


August 20, 2017
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