Garcia, Rahm one stroke back and eyeing lead

FORT WORTH, Texas – News and notes from Friday’s second round of the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational, with a four-way tie for first at 6 under that includes Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner, Danny Lee and Scott Piercy. Click here for more from Colonial. SPANISH ARMADA LURKING Sergio Garcia was 21 years old when he won in his first start at Colonial. At age 22, Jon Rahm is making his first start at Colonial. Nothing would please him more than to duplicate Garcia’s debut back in 2001. “That would be a great thing obviously,â€� Rahm said. But to do it, Rahm will have to knock off, among others, his fellow Spaniard. They each enter the weekend at 5 under, tied for fifth, just one stroke off the lead. Paired together for the first two days, the current and future stars of Spanish golf certainly fed off each other. Rahm had the better score on Thursday, shooting 66. Garcia shot the same score on Friday. “To be honest, I think we played a role that when one of us were struggling, the other one had a good day,â€� Rahm said. “Yesterday I was playing good when he didn’t have his best start, making some amazing par saves. Today he was playing great and I didn’t have my best start. “I think being happy for each other and pulling for each other, that’s how our game ended up under par on a tough day like today and yesterday.â€� Said Garcia: “Jon played really well yesterday. He stayed patient today. I didn’t play quite as well, but it was tough. I managed to play nicely and roll a few putts in today that I wasn’t able to do yesterday.â€� Although they’ve played previous practice rounds and competitive rounds together, the two seemed very happy to enjoy each other’s company for 36 holes at Colonial. They spoke in Spanish for most of the day, lapsing into English when necessary – mainly for the benefit of Rahm’s caddie, or for the third member of their trio, Korea’s Si Woo Kim. Despite ending up with the same scores, Garcia and Rahm will not be paired together on Saturday. Garcia will play with Paul Casey, while Rahm is with Sean O’Hair. Time to get serious. “It’s been great fun,â€� Garcia said. I think we both had two really good days on difficult conditions. I think we’re happy the way we played. Excited going into the weekend.â€� IMPRESSING THE PRESIDENTS CUP CAPTAIN Kevin Kisner just spent 36 holes playing with U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Steve Stricker. Considering that he’s tied for the lead after a pair of 67s that includes just one bogey each day, Kisner certainly made a good impression. It may be a moot point. Kisner started this week ranked sixth on the U.S. list. The top 10 players through Sept. 4 will automatically qualify, with Stricker able to make two Captain’s Picks for the competition at Liberty National in late September. Kisner would like nothing more than to spare Stricker of having to decide if he belongs on the squad. “You never know how that works, how the majors and all the points work,â€� said Kisner, who tied for second at Bay Hill in March and lost in a playoff with teammate Scott Brown at the team event in New Orleans last month. “I’ve got to play well in the majors and I need a win.â€� Kisner and Stricker have played a few practice rounds together, so there’s little the captain learned about the South Carolina native’s game. Ryan Moore was the third member of the group, and he’s No. 11 in Presidents Cup points. He’s at even par through 36 holes. “Those two guys are definitely in the mix,â€� said Stricker, who made the cut at 3 over. “Kisner’s a good guy, a competitor. A little bulldog. He doesn’t back down. … He looks like he’s ready to fight the golf course.â€� SHOT OF THE DAY WEBB SHOWING FONDNESS FOR COLONIAL Blame Webb Simpson’s struggles at the tournament on the other side of the Metroplex for his extended absence from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 2009 and 2010, Simpson played both the AT&T Byron Nelson and the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational. He missed the cut in all four starts, and so for the next five years, he took the events off his schedule. “It was always pretty much halfway through the year [and] I always wanted two weeks off,â€� Simpson said. “I didn’t play well at the Byron my first couple of years, so I decided to stay out of Texas.â€� Last year, Simpson adjusted his playing schedule in May due to birth of his daughter, Mercy. That opened up a hole late in the month, so he added the DEAN & DELUCA. It was a wise move. On a shot-maker’s course that seems suited for his game, Simpson shot four rounds of 68 or better to tie for third. After 36 holes this week, he’s right back in the mix, ending his second-round 4-under 66 with three consecutive birdies. For the second straight year, he’ll go into the weekend as the co-leader at Colonial. “It’s always tricky around here,â€� Simpson said. “Fairways are not easy to hit. But I kind of hung in there early. “ So what about future plans for Colonial? “Glad I’m back,â€� he said. “Should be on the calendar for a few years now.â€� CALL OF THE DAY CLUB SWITCH PROVES FRUITFUL Anticipating stiff Texas breezes this week, Paul Casey took the 5-wood out of his bag and replaced it with a Mizuno MP-25 3-iron. He leaned on it numerous times Friday, and it paid off with a 4-under 66 and tied for fifth. Opting for the long iron instead of driver for many of his tee shots, Casey has hit 17 of 28 fairways in the first two days – a key barometer for success on Colonial’s tight layout. “I’ve been hitting a 5-wood for a long, long time now, mainly for second shots into par 5s, but I’ve always loved hitting long irons off the tee,â€� said Casey, who has been sorting out his equipment issues since Nike announced last year it would no longer make clubs. “It’s not the longest 3-iron I’ve ever hit, but I’ve got great control with it. It put me in wonderful position numerous times today – or really didn’t get into trouble, because there is a lot of trouble around here.â€� Casey also is happy to see his putting come around, calling it the “missing linkâ€� to his game. He entered the week ranked 140th on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting, but in the first two rounds, he ranks first in the field, having gained a total of 5.215 strokes on the field with his putter. He said it helped playing the first two rounds with one of the TOUR’s best putters. “Trying to channel my inner Brandt Snedeker … because he makes everything,â€� Casey said. “That’s really the difference. The ball-striking has been pretty good all year. That hasn’t changed. Just some putting.â€� ODDS AND ENDS Co-leader Danny Lee tied for fifth last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson after a brilliant weekend in which he shot 64-68. Any carryover effect to this week? “A lot, actually,â€� said Lee, who lives in the area. “… I was just struggling the whole year just trying to find my game. I think I finally got it. My head is in a good place right now. I’m just looking forward to the next couple of days.â€� … Although Scott Piercy is tied for the lead after his 4-under 66, he’s not feeling well. He said he’s having a difficult time breathing and has other flu-like symptoms. Oh, and temperatures reached into the 90s on Friday. “I’ve been pounding the medicine and trying to get over this,â€� Piercy said. “The heat definitely didn’t help today.â€� … Tony Finau is one of the TOUR’s biggest hitters, but he doesn’t view himself as a one-trick pony. He thinks Colonial offers him a chance to show off skills other than his length off the tee. He’ll enter the weekend at 3 under after shooting 65, the lowest round in the morning wave on Friday. “I consider myself a shotmaker,â€� Finau said. “I’m very feely when I play and I can shape it both ways. I think that’s what you need on this golf course.â€� … After opening with a 67, Phil Mickelson shot a second-round 75 in which he failed to make a birdie. It was his highest score at Colonial since an opening 78 in 1998. Mickelson’s longest made putt Friday was from 7-1/2 feet, which explains why he was spending extra time on the practice green after his round. … Among the cut casualties: THE PLAYERS Championship winner Si Woo Kim, who shot 72-73; and two-time Long Drive Championship winner Jamie Sadlowski, who shot 73-73 in his first start on the PGA TOUR.

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