Golf
Associated Press 8y

Martin Piller, Webb Simpson share lead after 2nd round at Colonial

Golf

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Martin Piller had the most holes to play to complete the suspended second round at Colonial. He took a share of the lead with his last putt.

Piller's strong approach at No. 18, his 12th hole Saturday morning, set up a 20-inch birdie putt to wrap up his second consecutive round of 66. At 8-under 132, he matched Webb Simpson for the best score.

Simpson finished his second round (67) before the Dean & Deluca Invitational stopped Friday night because of darkness, with Piller among 61 players still on the course.

No. 2-ranked player Jordan Spieth (66), Colonial member Ryan Palmer (67), Kyle Reifers (67) and first-round leader Bryce Molder (69) were a stroke behind the leaders. Spieth was the only one of that quartet to finish Friday. He was in the final group with Piller and Simpson for the third round later Saturday.

Spieth is in contention for the weekend at home for the second week in a row, and at Colonial for the second straight year. He tied for second in the 2015 Colonial. The 22-year-old Dallas native was a stroke out of the lead after two rounds last week at the Byron Nelson, but wound up tied for 18th.

Molder was leading at 9 under when the second round was abandoned Friday. But he had bogeys on two of the three holes he had left to play Saturday.

Adam Scott, the 2014 Colonial champion and No. 7-ranked player, made a 4-foot birdie at No. 18 for a round of 69. That got him to 1 over, just enough to be among 70 players who made the cut.

Piller had consecutive birdies Saturday before a double-bogey 7 at the 627-yard 11th hole. He had to take a drop along the tree line after a wayward approach shot, and then hit into a greenside bunker.

But that was his only bogey. He had three more birdies with his wife, LPGA player Gerina Piller, part of the gallery.

Palmer had to play 10 holes Saturday morning, just more than 11 hours after the horn sounded the previous evening. He was tied for the lead before a bogey on his last hole.

Simpson, a four-time PGA Tour winner who is ranked 95th, had 17 consecutive rounds of 70 or higher before an opening 65 at Colonial. He backed that up with a round that had only one bogey and four birdies, including a 14-footer on his final hole.

Molder had gone ahead after another impressive front nine at Hogan's Alley. He had 11 combined birdies after playing Nos. 1-9 twice.

He had an opening 64 with six birdies on the front nine. He had five more birdies on that side Friday, which would translate to a 59 -- the best score ever shot on the PGA Tour.

Starting at the par-3 16th hole Saturday, Molder missed the green with his tee shot and then two-putted from 5 feet. He also bogeyed at No. 18 after driving into the rough.

^ Back to Top ^