Webb Simpson took the lead, but Nick Watney made the biggest news at the RBC Heritage.
Watney (pictured), from Davis and Fresno State, wasn’t feeling well on Friday morning so he went to see the PGA Tour’s medical team and became the first player on the circuit to test positive for the Coronavirus.
PGA Tour protocol calls for Watney, who obviously withdrew from the tournament, to be self-isolated for a minimum of 10 days. He was among the 369 PGA Tour players, caddies and officials who tested negative earlier in the week.
“Nick will have the PGA Tour’s full support throughout his self-isolation and recovery period under CDC guidelines,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.
The second tournament since the PGA Tour was shut down in March because of the Coronavirus pandemic is being played without spectators on the course at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C., due to social distancing guidelines.
The ninth-ranked Simpson made a putting adjustment overnight and birdied his last two holes while finishing on the front nine to post a second straight 6-under-par 65 for a one-stroke lead over Corey Conners of Canada and Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis.
“The ball got too far back in my setup, so I just moved it up a little bit, and it helped my aim,” said Simpson, who lost to Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland in a playoff at Harbour Town in 2013. “I was aiming everything right, so I moved it up on the line that came back and started rolling it better.
“I had a few par-savers that kind of kept my momentum going, but I did drop three shots, all kind of physical errors. I’m thinking well right now, so I’d rather physical errors than mental errors.
“It was a nice way to finish going into the weekend.”
Simpson overcame three bogeys with seven birdies on his last 11 holes to card a 36-hole total of 12-under 130.
Conners birdied five of his first eight holes while starting on the back nine en route to a bogey-free 63, while DeChambeau collected six birdies while finishing his 64 on the front nine.
“I drove the ball well, was good with my irons and made some puts, but I still haven’t figured out something with my putting,” said DeChambeau, whose tie for third last week in the Charles Schwab Challenge was his fourth straight top-10 finish. “I’ve got to figure some stuff out because a couple years ago, I was rolling it the best I’ve ever rolled it.
“I have good moments and bad moments now. I want to tighten that dispersion with putting, and I’d be a couple more up there. I’m going to work on it now and see if I can’t figure something out for the weekend.”
Said Conners, whose only PGA Tour victory came in the 2019 Valero Texas Open: “Obviously, pretty awesome round. Stress free, hit a lot of really good shots. Really happy with the round. I haven’t had a lot of success at this course before. It will be my first time playing the weekend. I think my experience over the last few years helped me. I’m definitely comfortable out here, and I like the golf course a lot.”
Matthew Fitzpatrick of England made three birdies down the stretch for a second 66, and is two shots back in a tie for fourth with Ryan Palmer, who shot 67.
Fourth-ranked Brooks Koepka totaled 66 despite a closing bogey and is three behind in a tie for fifth with Jhonattan Vegas (63) of Venezuela, Abraham Ancer (64) of Mexico, Matthew NeSmith (67) and first-round leader Ian Poulter of England (69).
Fifth-ranked Dustin Johnson is tied for 11th after a 66, defending champion C.T. Pan of Taiwan shot 68 and is tied for 28th, and top-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland rallied with a 65 and is in a tie for 45th.
Third-ranked Justin Thomas carded a bogey-free 66 and is in a tie for 62nd that includes second-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain, who sank a 32-foot eagle putt on the fifth hole en route to a 67, and 10-ranked Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State, who sank a nine-foot birdie putt while finishing on the ninth hole to cap a 66.
Thomas, Rahm and Schauffele made the cut on the number at 4-under.
Sixth-ranked Patrick Reed missed the weekend by four at 70-72—142.
For complete results, visit https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/rbc-heritage/leaderboard.html
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