Rookie Webb Simpson leads by 2 at The Barclays

Damp,heavy conditions at Liberty National on Friday.The average scores were 2.6 shots higher than Thursday’s on a course that played very long.

24 year-old Tour rookie Webb Simpson shot the best round of the day 3 under par 68 and took the lead by 2 strokes over Thursday leaders Paul Goydos and Steve Marino who both shot 71 today. Goydos had a 2 shots lead at -9 after he birdied the 13 and 14 but made 3 bogeys on the stretch home at 15,17 and 18. Simpson also reached -9 at the 6th hole(his 15th ) but a bogey at 8 sent him back to -8 for the first 36 holes at The Barclays.He will be in uncharted territory on Saturday as it is the first time in his young career that he leads a PGA Tour tournament. Fredrik Jacobson and Heath Slocum are T4 at -4,Ian Poulter,Steve Stricker and Richard S.Johnson T6 at -3. Ernie Els was the only player with Webb Simpson to shoot 3 under par 68 today,he’s at -2 tie for 9 with Charlie Hoffman. Sergio Garcia started the day tied for the lead at -6 but a 76 backed him down to -1,T11. Padraig Harrington is at level par with a 4 over par 75 in the second round.

In the group featuring the top 3 in the Fedex Cup standings #1 Tiger Woods shot 72, #2 Steve Stricker 70 and # Zach Johnson 72.Stricker is at -3,Woods and Johnson are at level par 8 strokes behind Simpson. Y.E. Yang who defeated Woods at the PGA Championship at Hazeltine is T29 at +1.

This Fedex Cup first playoff feels more and more like a major tournament,with everything on the line for all the players.Even worse weather is expected on Saturday,the long and narrow Liberty National golf course could become a very difficult test during the weekend.

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