• Wyndham Championship, Round Three

Late spurt puts Simpson out front

ESPN staff
August 20, 2011
Webb Simpson acknowledges a birdie © Getty Images
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Webb Simpson manufactured four birdies and an eagle over his closing six holes to take a two-shot lead heading into the final round of Wyndham Championship.

Simpson, playing in the final group of the day, got off to an inauspicious start after bogeying two of his first four holes - although he managed to find the two birdies he needed to get to the turn at even par. However, while a 63-minute delay around the turn appeared to disrupt some his rivals, Simpson regrouped and came back firing - finding four birdies either side of an eagle three at the 15th to card a 64 and put himself clear of the field at 15-under.

Tommy Gainey was Simpson's nearest challenger, at 13-under after a round of 69. The American was one who seemed to struggle after the weather cleared up, making a string of pars and just one birdie on the 17th as he was overhauled atop the leaderboard.

Both John Mallinger and Carl Pettersson will be hopeful of overhauling Simpson on the final day, after they carded impressive rounds of 65 and 63 respectively to move up the field at 12-under. Petterson's form should be of little surprise - the Swede lives in Greenboro and won the tournament in 2008.

Further down the field, American Daniel Summerhays is at 11-under - while Retief Goosen and Ernie Els are among five players at ten-under and still with a small chance of victory on Sunday.

Just outside the top ten, Englishman Paul Casey is one round from being all-but certain to book his place in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, as he sits at nine-under after a solid, if unspectacular, round of 69.

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