Webb Simpson overcame an English wave in the second round of the Dell Technologies Championship.
Simpson sank an improbable 71-foot eagle putt from off the final green to cap a bogey-free, 8-under-par 63 and take a one-stroke lead over Englishmen Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton midway through the second event of the FedEx Cup playoffs at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.
“I was excited and you just kind of laugh at those, because you’re not trying to make them, you’re just trying to get them close,” said Simpson, who ended a five-year victory drought by winning the Players Championship in May for his fifth PGA Tour victory. “Those moments are always fun on the last hole. Honestly, it brings back the 2011 memories, making a couple of putts when I won. Just a great atmosphere out there.
“I’ve got back in the top-20 in the world (No. 17) and I want to stay here. I don’t want to just have a couple of good years and have it go away for two years. There are a few guys that are always top-10 in the world. I want to do that. I want to stay consistently good as a golfer.”
The 33-year-old Simpson, who won the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco and also captured this tournament in 2011, collected six birdies on the first 13 holes before adding his eagle and wound up at 11-under 131.
Hatton, who has won three times on the European but is winless in the United States, collected four birdies on each nine in his own flawless 63, while the fourth-ranked Rose shot 67 after holding the first-round lead at 65.
Tommy Fleetwood, also of England, had five birdies in the first eight holes on his way to a 65 and is three strokes back in solo fourth, while Cameron Smith had five birdies while finishing on the front nine and is one more down in a tie for fifth with Abraham Ancer of Mexico, who had five birdies on the front in a 69.
Ninth-ranked Jordan Spieth made five birdies while finishing on the front nine to card a 67 and is five strokes behind in a large tie for seventh with Xander Schauffele (67) of La Jolla and San Diego State, Beau Hossler (69) of Mission Viejo, Marc Leishman (68) of Australia, local favorite Keegan Bradley (69), Si Woo Kim (66) of South Korea, Rafa Cabrera Bello (68) of Spain, J.B. Holmes (67) and Adam Hadwin (68) of Canada.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson is tied for 16th after a 69, while second-ranked Brooks Koepka finished at 69 and is in a tie for 21st that includes seventh-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who finished at 67, and Tiger Woods, who put up a bogey-free 66.
Fifth-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain totaled 67 to tie for 34th, third-ranked Justin Thomas is tied for 56th after a 69, Phil Mickelson carded a second 68 and is tied for 72, and 10th-ranked Jason Day of Australia followed a 76 with a 73 and missed the cut by five strokes.
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