Golf roundup: Ryan Armour, Webb Simpson surge into lead at Wyndham Championship

Ryan Armour shot a career-best nine-under-par 61 on Friday for a share of the lead with Webb Simpson after two rounds at the Wyndham Championship.

Armour and Simpson were at 13-under 127 halfway through the PGA Tour’s final event of the regular season. Simpson shot a 64.

Henrik Stenson was a stroke behind them after a 66. Ollie Schniederjans and Vaughn Taylor and were 11. Schniederjans shot 63, Taylor had a 66.

First-round leader Matt Every followed his 61 with a 72 to slip six strokes off the lead.

The field at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., is once again full of players trying to force their way off the bubble and qualify for the postseason. The top 125 players on the points list earn berths at the Northern Trust next week in New York.

At No. 187 on the list, Armour isn’t even close to the bubble.

“Could turn your life around,” Armour said. “I had some goals at the beginning of the week. I knew where I stood and, you know, right now the goals are attainable.”

The 41-year-old who has yet to win on tour and has bounced between the big tour and the Web.com Tour throughout his 14-year professional career, had nine birdies — five on his first nine holes, then four in a row on Nos. 5-8 — to quickly climb the leaderboard.

His round was two strokes better than his previous best of 63 nine years ago in Milwaukee.

Simpson, a North Carolina native who won here in 2011 and named his third child Wyndham, put himself in position to contend for his first victory since 2014. He had four birdies on the first six holes of his back nine, pulling even with Armour at 13 under after his birdie on the par-five 15th.

American dominate afternoon play at Solheim Cup

The United States swept the afternoon fourball matches to take a 5 1/2-2 1/2 lead over Europe in the Solheim Cup at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.

Lizette Salas and U.S. newcomer Danielle Kang each won two matches, teaming to beat Carlota Ciganda and Caroline Masson 1 up for the Americans’ lone full point in the morning foursomes, then leading the U.S. to its first ever fourball sweep in the afternoon.

Salas and rookie Angel Yin routed Ciganda and Emily Pedersen 6 and 5, and Kang and Michelle Wie topped Madelene Sagstrom and Jodi Ewart Shadoff 3 and 1.

In the other fourball matches, Brittany Lincicome and Brittany Lang beat Masson and Florentyna Parker 3 and 2, and Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller edged Charley Hull and Georgia Hall 2 and 1

In the morning foursomes, Americans Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson rallied to halve with Hull and Mel Reid. For Europe, Hall and Anna Nordqvist beat Paula Creamer and Austin Ernst 3 and 1, and Karine Icher and Catriona Matthew topped Lewis and Piller 1 up.

Sunderland, Short tied at Champions event

Kevin Sutherland shot a seven-under 65 for a share of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, three years scorching the En-Joie course for the only 59 in PGA Tour Champions history.

Sutherland had eight birdies and a bogey to join Wes Short Jr. atop the first-round leaderboard. Winless on the 50-and-older tour, Sutherland hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation on the course softened by morning rain in Endicott, N.Y.

Short also had eight birdies and bogey. He was coming off a 62 in the final round of the 3M Championship two weeks ago in Minnesota.

Colin Montgomerie was a stroke back along with Mark Brooks, Russ Cochran and Corey Pavin. Montgomerie holed out from 80 yards for eagle on the par-four 10th.

Joey Sindelar, from nearby Horseheads, had a 67. He won the PGA Tour’s B.C. Open in 1985 and 1987 at En-Joie.

Hend moves up crowded leaderboard in Fiji

Scott Hend shot a six-under 66 to move into a four-way share of the lead after the second round of the Fiji International.

The 44-year-old Australian was level with first-round leader Daniel Pearce of New Zealand, who shot 71, and Australia’s Jason Norris and Malaysia’s Gavin Green (69 each), all with seven under totals of 137 on the ocean-side Natadola Bay course.

The leading group had a two-stroke advantage over Australians Adam Bland, David McKenzie and Peter Wilson, who shot 71s. Three former U.S. Masters champions easily made the cut. Angel Cabrera had 69 and was at three under, four strokes behind. Mike Weir (71) and hometown favorite Vijay Singh (72) were at one under in the tournament sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia, European and Asian tours.