Patrick Reed claims two-shot lead at The Barclays
Sunday 28 August 2016 21:09, UK
Patrick Reed will take a two-shot lead into the weekend at The Barclays as Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day stayed in contention at Bethpage.
Reed added a solid 68 to his opening 66 to hit the front on eight under par despite bogeys at two of the last three holes, but the top end of the leaderboard is packed with star quality in the first of the four FedExCup Play-Off tournaments in New York.
Rory McIlroy is just six off the pace following an encouraging 69, although he was left to rue a pair of late bogeys as he slipped to two under alongside Luke Donald, while Dustin Johnson and Olympic champion Justin Rose will look to make early moves in Saturday's third round.
Reed got off to a hot start as he birdied three of the first four holes, and an easy two-putt birdie at the long seventh swept him to nine under before he missed the green at the par-three eighth and missed his 10-foot par putt.
The American got the shot back at 13 only to three-putt the 16th, although he bounced back with a stunning tee-shot to 18 inches at the 207-yard 17th which set up a tap-in for his sixth birdie of the day.
Reed found bunker trouble at the last and could not avoid signing off with a five, but he still remained two clear of Emiliano Grillo and Fowler, who both returned rounds of 69.
Grillo opened with a double-bogey at the 10th before making three birdies in a row from the 12th and, after further gains at the second and fourth, he dropped another shot at the ninth.
The Argentine was later joined on six under by Fowler, who plotted his way cautiously around the vast layout to hand in a card featuring two birdies and 16 pars.
In-form American Ryan Moore continued his late bid for a Ryder Cup place with a 68 that lifted him to five under, while defending FedExCup champion Spieth recovered from a dreadful start to post an excellent 67.
Spieth had no shot at the pin after bunkering his approach to the 10th - his first - and splashed out sideways into rough before taking three more to get down, but he steadied himself with seven pars and rolled in a morale-boosting 15-foot putt for birdie at 18.
The world No 3 then found a superb rhythm on the front nine, following a birdie at the second with a stunning second to three feet to set up an eagle at the fourth, and he picked up further shots at six and seven to get within four of the lead.
Day looked in unstoppable form on the outward half and roared to eight under with a sparkling run of five birdies in six holes from the second, but a bogey at the eighth took the wind out of his sails.
The Australian then pulled a wild drive into the trees at the ninth and could only pitch back out to the fairway, and he compounded the error off the tee by dumping his third into sand as he ran up a double-bogey six.
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Another shot went at the 10th, and he continued to miss fairways as he stumbled to a disappointing 70 which left him on four under alongside Spieth and overnight joint-leader Martin Laird, who bogeyed three of his last five holes in an erratic 72.
McIlroy and Donald (71) are two shots further adrift, while world No 2 Johnson is at level par after a 72 which included three birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey at the eighth after he found water from the tee.
Rose continued to be all smiles after his historic win in Rio and a 70 got him safely into the weekend on one over, while PGA champion Jimmy Walker and Ryder Cup hopeful Graeme McDowell were among those to miss the cut.
