Simpson & Woodland Share Lead at The Barclays


Webb Simpson has posted rounds of 67 and 66 to reach 9-under 133 through 36 holes of the storm-delayed Barclays. Also at that number is Gary Woodland, who's shot 69 and 64. The $8 million PGA Tour event - the first of four legs in the season-ending FedEx Cup Playoffs - began Thursday at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

The tournament, which experienced a tough opening round with two weather delays causing a total of six hours of postponement, is still trying to get back on schedule. Many players didn't complete their opening rounds Thursday, but managed to finish them late Friday morning.

Matt Kuchar was at 10-under par - and 5-under through 13 holes - but still has five holes to play to complete his second round.

The second round won't be fully completed until sometime Saturday morning. To help get back on track, Tour officials will send players off in threesomes off both the first and 10th tees, with the 36-hole cut to be set when those are done prior to the start of the third round. The weekend weather forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.

Rickie Fowler tied Liberty National's course record of 7-under 64 in the second round, but that mark was broken soon after when Keegan Bradley fired an 8-under 63.

Starting on the 10th tee, Fowler fired four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 13th hole before a bogey at No. 17 that gave him a 5-under 30 through nine holes. The 24-year-old Southern Californian then tacked on two more birdies on his home half.

Fowler likes where his game is heading, and is hoping to earn a spot on the 2013 USA Presidents Cup team. The biennial competition that pits the Americans against an International contingent will be held October 3-6 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

"Probably the most confident and most kind of on upward climb versus a downhill spiral versus the last few years, so I'm excited about the Playoffs," Fowler told PGATour.com about the state of his game this time of the season. "The furthest back I've been coming in, but I feel like I have a good chance of playing well, and a good weekend here would go a long ways and keep me going."

Bradley, the 2011 PGA champion from Vermont, was even more flawless than Fowler, posting four birdies on each of his nines to tie Fowler and reigning Masters' champion Adam Scott, who has shot rounds of 69 and 66, at 7-under 135.

Bradley played his college golf at St. Johns University in New York City, and is disappointed that he's missed the cut in his two previous Barclays. "This has always been a tournament that I've always really wanted to play well at," Bradley told PGATour.com. "This is the first time I've even remotely come close to shooting under par."

Also going low in Friday's completed rounds was England's David Lynn, who had a 65 to reach 136 along with Spain's Sergio Garcia (66) and Sweden's Freddie Jacobson (68).

After polishing off a 67 Thursday, No. 1-ranked Tiger Woods, the top FedEx Cup points' leader entering The Barclays, got off to a great start with three birdies in his first five holes Friday. But he bogeyed the par-4 seventh to make the turn in 2-under 34. Woods will be one of the players finishing his second round Saturday morning.

Major winners Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer each shot 70s and are at 2-under 138.

For updated scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.