Golf: Rookie tops Barclays leaderboard

The Associated Press

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Webb Simpson looked at the scores and the weather, neither of which indicated an easy time Friday at Liberty National. He settled on a simple game plan which is paying off in The Barclays.

Simpson took advantage on some of the shorter holes to give him a cushion for the inevitable mistakes.

It led to a 3-under 68 on a wet afternoon that put the 24-year-old rookie atop the leaderboard for the first time all year.

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"My caddie and I talked beforehand about taking advantage of the par 5s and the shorter par 4s, just because we knew we were going to make bogeys," Simpson said. "It was just one of those long, tough days. But I feel good with where I'm at."

He was at 8-under 134, two shots clear of Paul Goydos and Steve Marino.

Modesto's Matt Bettencourt and John Merrick both shot 148 over two days and missed the cut.

• LPGA, at North Plains, Ore. — Beth Bader shot an 8-under 64 at the Safeway Classic, to take a 1-stroke lead into the second round at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.

Bader's low score came early, before the winds picked up and rain moved in over the course west of Portland.

• CHAMPIONS, at Snoqualmie, Wash. — It's the only accolade missing from Mark O'Meara's golf resume: a win on the Champions Tour. He's a third of the way to filling that void.

O'Meara eagled the 18th hole to finish a round of 6-under 66 and take a two-shot lead over a jumbled field after the first round of the Boeing Classic.

• EUROPEAN PGA, at Gleneagles, Scotland — Paul Lawrie shot a second straight bogey-free round with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke lead at the Johnnie Walker Championship.

• U.S. AMATEUR, at Tulsa, Okla. — Byeong-Hun An advanced to the semifinals with his second straight playoff win. The 17-year-old who goes by "Ben" can become both the youngest player to take the U.S. Amateur title.