Simpson rallies to beat Finau in playoff at Waste Management Phoenix Open

Will Zalatoris was recently named the 2021 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, and he’s already known as one of the game’s best ball-strikers. Here’s a look inside his bag. Driver: Titleist TSi3 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 757 TR X 3-wood: Titleist TSi3 (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Red 8 X Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist T100 (4-PW) Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Hybrid GOST (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (50-08F, 54-10S @55), Vokey SM8 Wedge Works Prototype (60-T) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 11 prototype Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Lee Westwood made a pair of 30-foot putts over the final three holes Saturday, one for eagle and the other a closing birdie, for a 7-under 65 that gave England’s ageless wonder a one-shot lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tyrrell Hatton continues charging up leaderboard at Bay Hill Westwood turns 48 next month and is feeling younger by the years. Now he goes up against U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, whose 68 included a birdie on the par-5 sixth hole in which he cut off so much of the water he had only 70 yards for his second shot on the 531-yard hole. Corey Conners of Canada, who started with a one-shot lead, could only manage a 71 on a cool, breezy day at Bay Hill with only a few drops of rain. He also was one shot behind. “It’s nice to still be playing in these tournaments,” Westwood said. “You’ve got to be top 50 in the world and if you would have said to me 20 years ago will you still be top 50 in the world at 48 I might have been slightly skeptical. And it just shows that I’m still capable of playing well in these tournaments with all the good young players around me and obviously contending, because that’s what I’m doing this week.” Sunday was shaping up as another thriller at Bay Hill. Jordan Spieth opened with a birdie and a hole-in-one, took the lead by holing a bunker shot on the par-3 seventh, saved par after a tee shot into the water and shot 68 with the kind of round he’d rather do without. Spieth prefers boring golf, and this was anything but that. He was two shots behind, along with former PGA champion Keegan Bradley, who had the low score of the week at 64. Spieth didn’t have the only ace. Jazz Janewattananond made on on the 14th hole that thrust him into the ix with a 69, leaving him four shots behind in a group that included Rory McIlroy, who bogeyed the last for a 72. Despite such a pedestrian round, McIlroy was very much in contention. They will be chasing Westwood, who first played the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 1998. He was at 11-under 205. Westwood posted his lowest score ever at Bay Hill and made only six pars. He had eight birdies and the eagle on the 16th hole, along with a pair of three-putt bogeys. Westwood has five victories since turning 40, including last year in Abu Dhabi, among the strongest fields on the European Tour. He rallied to win the Race to Dubai late last year, his third time finishing the year as Europe’s No. 1. So this didn’t surprise him, especially on a course that fits his eye, even though he has only one finish in the top 10. “I haven’t lost any of my length and I haven’t lost any of my enthusiasm to go and work in the gym,” Westwood said. “My nerves are still intact, I still get into contention and enjoy it rather than kind of back off.” Spieth is getting used to being in contention, too. He had chances in Phoenix and Pebble Beach, and he was in the peripheral of contention at Riviera. Starting four shots behind, he made up ground quickly with an 18-foot birdie on the first hole and then hit a 5-iron that rolled up the right side of the green, turned toward the cup and dropped for an ace. “That was obviously a really cool moment,” Spieth said. He will play Sunday with Tommy Fleetwood, who had a 68 and was three behind. Spieth had to play as a single most of Saturday when Justin Rose, who made a 9 on the third hole, withdrew soon thereafter citing back spasms. DeChambeau got one of the loudest cheers of the day by hitting into the rough. The biggest gallery lingered behind the sixth tee to see if he would go for the green. He aimed well to the right, but it still was a thrill to them to see DeChambeau grab driver and blast away. The fans packed behind the ropes on the other side of the water let out a huge cheer when his ball descended and tumbled into the rough, 70 yards from the pin. “Oh, man, I felt like a kid again, for sure,” DeChambeau said. “It was exciting, especially when you pull it off. It was almost like winning a tournament. It’s kind of the feeling I had. It was like, `Oh, I did it.’ I got the same chills and feeling when I saw it clear and there was no splash. I gave the fans what they wanted.” The tournament isn’t decided until Sunday, and with hardly any rain, the greens are unlikely to lose their speed and firmness. McIlroy likes his position. Westwood likes his even more.

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Here are nine tidbits from the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. PAIN OR GAIN These were the top-five picked golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: The top three above are currently in the top five. Pat Perez checks in safely at T23, but Brandt Snedeker will have to move up a few shots on Saturday to make the 54-hole cut. He’s currently two-under-par and tied for 70th. The top 60 and ties will play Pebble Beach on Sunday. The Great One Wayne Gretzky’s de facto son-in-law, Dustin Johnson, posted his 21st round in the 60’s from 40 chances on the Monterey Peninsula. His 64 Friday matches his second-best round ever and missed the best by a shot. His 63 at Pebble Beach in round one in 2012 is the best of the bunch. His rounds of 67-64 (-12) ties him with Beau Hossler for the lead, and he’ll play the weekend at Pebble Beach. If the wind blows tomorrow afternoon as predicted, he’ll be licking his chops. Merritt Badge Troy Merritt’s 67 at Pebble Beach yesterday included three bogeys, an eagle and six birdies. His 67 at Spyglass Hill Friday included zero bogeys or others and five birdies. He’ll begin Saturday 10-under-par on the Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore Course), the easiest of the three courses in play this week. Every shot and dollar counts this week as Merritt is playing out of the Web.com priority list. He’s MC in five of eight events and his biggest check cashed T51 money after Shriners. He’s never made the cut in six previous visits to this event, including the last four years in a row. Invitation Only Duke grad Julian Suri is ranked No. 66 in the OWGR and is in the field this week on a sponsor’s exemption. He won twice last year in Europe (one Challenge Tour, one European Tour) but his first two TOUR events this season saw him collect T63 at Torrey Pines and MC last week in Scottsdale. He’s made 13 birdies in two rounds this week and currently sits T3. This event is notoriously tough on rookies and first-time players. He’ll have two rounds this weekend at Pebble Beach to be an exception to that rule or just another statistic. Gamers should be aware of him regardless. Jordan Rules World No. 3 Jordan Spieth bounced back nicely today at MPCC as he birdied five of his first seven holes to get back into the fight. His 66 moved him up 75 spots to T23, and he’ll be one that will be begging for tough conditions Saturday so he can get back into his title defense. He hit less fairways and greens than he did yesterday, so it’s obvious which club started cooperating. Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood Stanford grad Patrick Rodgers is known for his 11 collegiate victories. but he hasn’t found the winner’s circle on TOUR just yet. His 65 at MPCC moved him up 42 spots to T11 after an opening 70 at Spyglass Hill. Rodgers ranks 195th in putting average this season but is leading the field this week after two rounds. Caution. Rory’s Retreat After six birdies to open with 68 at the usually more difficult Spyglass Hill, gamers who were riding the form of the 2016 FedExCup champion probably expected another low one today at MPCC. In fact, just the opposite rang true as Rory McIlroy had to absorb four bogeys and a double against only three birdies for 74. He’s T87 after dropping 71 spots and will have to take his frustrations out on Pebble Beach Saturday. He needed 25 putts on Thursday and 38 on Friday. Playing from Behind Last week’s winner Gary Woodland will also need a big, bad weekend on Pebble Beach, as he’s the eighth-most selected player in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO. I’ll remind gamers he made 10 birdies on Pebble Beach last year on Sunday to claim his first top 10 in three tries. He might need TWO rounds of that, bartender, to make noise this year. It’s not over, yet. Study Hall Angel Cabrera has WD from the professional competition but is sticking around for the Pro-Am portion.  Graeme McDowell, winner of the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, shot 71 at Pebble Beach yesterday but backed that up with 80 at Spyglass Hill today. … Beau Hossler, who is tied with Dustin Johnson for first, hasn’t made a bogey yet this week. … Jason Day, winner at the Farmers Insurance Open, lit up his card with 65 today at MPCC. He was joined on that number by Rodgers, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker. … Denny McCarthy signed for the lowest round of the day at Spyglass Hill with 66. Jon Rahm led the crew of three with 67 at Pebble Beach.      

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