Simpson, Streb tied for Wells Fargo lead, but big names lurk

Webb Simpson is starting to think there might be something to this home-course advantage.

The Charlotte resident and Quail Hollow Club member chipped in twice Friday to account for two of his seven birdies and carded his second consecutive 5-under-par 67 to move into a tie for the lead through two rounds of the 13th Wells Fargo Championship at 10-under 134.

Simpson is tied with first-round leader Robert Streb, who shot a 69 on Friday, and they are two strokes ahead of Martin Flores and 22-year-old sponsor exemption Patrick Rodgers.

“I don’t think I’ve ever chipped in twice on tour in one round,” Simpson said, “so it was fun and there’s tons of support out there for me so that was awesome as well.”

Simpson and Streb can’t be comfortable at the top, as two of the perennial favorites at Quail Hollow are lurking as the weekend has arrived.

Phil Mickelson, a five-time major champion who has eight top-10s in 11 Wells Fargo appearances, and Rory McIlroy, a four-time major winner and the 2010 Wells Fargo champion who also has top-10s in his past three appearances, are three strokes back and tied for fifth with Will MacKenzie at 137.

McIlroy shot a 67 and Mickelson a 66 on Friday.

“It should make for an exciting weekend and I’m right in the thick of it,” McIlroy said. “I’m really happy with the way I’m hitting the ball, especially off the tee. So I just need to do more of the same over the weekend.”

Several players are within striking distance as a total of 18 are within five shots of the lead, including past U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and Monday qualifier Scott Gutschewski.

Simpson said he plays approximately 25 to 50 rounds per year out of competition at Quail Hollow, and knowing prevailing wind directions, where to miss in relation to pin placements, and subtle breaks on greens are all a benefit.

“I think that helps, those little kinds of things, but the best player is going to win this week no matter how many times somebody has played it,” Simpson said. “But I definitely feel a little sense of comfort knowing I’ve been here so much.”

McIlroy and Mickelson are popular figures not only at Quail Hollow but just about any golf venue, so Simpson will attempt to ride the wave of support that probably reaches a crescendo for him this week, if he needs it.

“I can’t imagine more support than today,” Simpson said. “I saw so many people, friends and family and heard my name a lot. I’m sure tomorrow will be fun and you know I think if I’m 1 over at any point tomorrow early in the round I think that support will help me. With them kind of rooting for me, birdies will mean more. It will be fun.”

Simpson has four PGA Tour wins, including the 2012 U.S. Open, but he’s trying to win for the first time as a professional with a regulation-length putter. He has switched from a longer belly putter with the anchoring of the putter being outlawed at the end of the year.

He has been using the shorter putter shaft since last fall and dropped off some Scotty Cameron long putters to the Titleist tour fitting truck this week.

Simpson has averaged just 26 putts per round and has yet to three-putt. “I feel like I’m totally comfortable,” Simpson said. “It’s been good and I feel like kind of every week is a building week for me. Every week I’m kind of learning more and feel like I’m getting better and that’s kind of the goal.”

Poor iron shots led to bogeys on holes 3 and 6, but he offset those with three birdies on the front and added four more on the back nine.

McIlroy said Thursday after making a double bogey on the 17th hole to shoot a 70 that his game was probably in second gear.

On Friday? “I probably kicked it into third today,” McIlroy said. “I didn’t finish the way I wanted to last night and said if I can keep the mistakes off my card I’d be okay and that’s what I did today.”

McIlroy made five birdies without a bogey Friday and has missed just nine of 36 greens this week. McIlroy has been driving the ball beautifully over the past two weeks to set up the rest of his game. “If I can hit it in the fairway like I have been doing and maybe just be a little more crisp with my approach play, that will be the key,” McIlroy said.

Because he won the WGC-Cadillac Match Play, McIlroy has now played 13 competitive rounds in the past 17 days. He’s limiting work on the driving range to specific areas he feel need work.

“I think because of the way I’m playing out there, I’m not putting myself under that much stress in terms of missing fairways or missing greens,” McIlroy said. “I’m making it good on myself. If you can play golf like that it really doesn’t take much, to be honest.

“It’s always exciting to be in the thick of it so I won’t be lacking for any type of adrenalin out there.”

A missed short par putt on the eighth hole accounted for Mickelson’s only bogey Friday, and he added birdies on holes 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 14.

Mickelson hasn’t won since the 2013 British Open and his runner-up at the Masters is his only top-10 finish in nine PGA Tour starts this year.

“I’ve been turning 66s into 71s like [Thursday],” Mickelson said. “Right now nobody is turning 66s into 71s better than me and it’s nice to finally shoot that 66 and get the score that reflects the way I feel I’m playing.”

Streb was cruising and threatening to open up a sizable lead with three birdies in four holes to reach 10 under through his eighth hole Friday. But missed birdie putts of 5 and 10 feet on the ninth and 10th holes stalled his round a bit. He added a birdie with a tee shot to 9 feet on the par-3 13th hole but dropped a shot after hitting his ball in the water on the par-4 16th.

Streb has managed to hit 29 greens in regulation through two rounds despite hitting just 11 of 28 fairways.

“My misses haven’t got me in too much trouble with the exception of 16. That wasn’t a very good miss there,” said the Oklahoma native and 2009 Kansas State grad. “I’m just kind of hanging around, making some putts. … I have the confidence I know I can do it but I got to hit good shots over the weekend.”

This story was originally published May 15, 2015 at 10:01 PM with the headline "Simpson, Streb tied for Wells Fargo lead, but big names lurk."