JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Webb Simpson looked at the scores and the weather, neither of which indicated an easy time Friday at Liberty National Golf Club. He settled on a simple game plan and made it pay off in The Barclays.
Simpson took advantage on some of the shorter holes to give him a cushion for the inevitable mistakes. It led to a 3-under-par 68 on a long, tough and wet afternoon that put the 24-year-old rookie atop the leaderboard for the first time all year.
“My caddie and I talked beforehand about taking advantage of the par 5s and the shorter par 4s, just because we knew we were going to make bogeys,” Simpson said. “It was just one of those long, tough days. But I feel good with where I’m at.”
He was at 8-under 134, two shots clear of Paul Goydos and Steve Marino, who started the second round tied for the lead and did well to get around in even-par 71.
Sergio Garcia also was tied for the lead, got stuck in the morning wave and the worst of the rain, and shot a 76.
“It was hands down — I mean, forget about the PGA (Championship) — it was the longest course I’ve played this year, the way it was playing,” Garcia said. “I don’t know how many 5-, 4- and 3-irons I hit into the greens. I hit some woods into the green.”
Tiger Woods tried to hit driver onto one green on the 16th, where the tees were moved up. His shot sailed 65 yards wide of his target, over the water hazard, beyond the tee boxes at No. 17. He nearly crushed a tee marker before stopping the club a foot short, and while he made par, it summed up his frustration.
Woods had a 72, yet still moved up 10 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 17th at even-par 142. He refused to meet with reporters to discuss his round.
Simpson and Ernie Els had the low round at 68, and the South African only got there with a driver on the 16th hole that stopped 8 feet from the hole to set up an eagle.
Some players’ hopes for the $10 million FedEx Cup prize ended. Among those who missed the cut and will not finish among the top 100 to advance to Boston were Ben Curtis (84), Mark Calcavecchia (79) and Steve Flesch, who was disqualified after a 76.
O’Meara leads Boeing
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Mark O’Meara eagled the 18th hole for a 6-under 66 and two-shot lead after the first round of the Boeing Classic.
Allen Doyle, Loren Roberts, Mark McNulty and John Jacobs were tied for second.
Bader atop Safeway
NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — Beth Bader shot an 8-under 64 at the Safeway Classic to take a one-stroke lead over Anna Nordqvist and Seon Hwa Lee into the second round at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.
Lawrie remains bogey-free
GLENEAGLES, Scotland — Paul Lawrie shot a second bogey-free round with a 3-under 69, taking a two-stroke lead over Jonathan Caldwell (66—138), Maarten Lafeber (67) and Daniel Vancsik (69) at the Johnnie Walker Championship. The Associated Press
