MIAMI - England's Lee Westwood, feeling "calm and in control," fired six birdies in a six-under-par 66 on Friday to seize a one-shot lead over compatriot Matthew Fitzpatrick in the US PGA Tour Players Championship.
The 47-year-old, who was the 54-hole leader at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week on the way to a runner-up finish behind Bryson DeChambeau, said he'd carried his confidence from Bay Hill to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
"I've regrouped," Westwood said. "I've still got the memories of last week, of playing well and hitting good shots when I needed to, but there's no hangover from last week.
"It's a feel-good experience for me this week, and I've carried that into the first two rounds."
Eyes on the prize. 👀
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 13, 2021
Overnight leader @WestwoodLee is looking to win @THEPLAYERSChamp for the first time. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/bIjYmvmU23
On a course where some of the game's best were struggling -- defending champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland was among those who missed the cut -- Westwood was rarely in danger on the way to a nine-under-par total of 135.
Westwood opened with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th. He moved atop the leaderboard with a run of three straight birdies at the second, third and fourth, rolling in a 30-footer at the par-three third.
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After a tricky downhill five-footer to save par at the eighth, he rolled in a five-foot birdie putt at the par-five ninth.
"Hit it well off the tee. Hit quite a lot of fairways," Westwood said. "My iron shots were good. I played away from flags when I needed to. Got suckered into a couple of pins, but short game bailed me out on those.
"Chipping and bunker play all felt good and rolled the ball well on the greens. I had fun out there, felt calm and in control."
Fitzpatrick, 26, capped a four-under 68 with his sixth birdie of the day at the par-five ninth for sole possession of second place on eight-under 136.
He, too, opened with birdies at the 10th and 11th and added birdies at 15 and the second to reach eight-under. He answered each of his two back-nine bogeys with birdies to finish a stroke ahead of American Chris Kirk and Spain's Sergio Garcia, who were tied at seven-under.
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That's exactly where overnight leader Garcia started the day. After a promising birdie at the second the Spaniard was trending in the wrong direction with three bogeys, but thrust himself back in the mix with a sensational eagle at the par-five 11th, where he almost holed his 222-yard second shot before tapping in from four inches.
After another pair of bogeys -- including a two-foot miss at the 15th, Garcia birdied the par-five 16th and the last for his share of third.
Kirk had been in the clubhouse for hours on seven-under by then, firing an eagle and seven birdies in his seven-under 65.
DeChambeau, the reigning US Open champion coming off his eighth tour title at Bay Hill on Sunday, shook off a double-bogey at his opening hole, the 10th, carding five birdies in his second straight three-under 69 to head a group on six-under 138.
He was joined by Denny McCarthy (69), Brian Harman (71), Charley Hoffman (68), Doug Ghim (67) and Im Sung-jae (66).
McCarthy's three-under effort included a hole in one at the par-three third, where he had an eight-iron off the tee from 165 yards.
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't anything to do with what Bryson did at the U.S. Open."
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 13, 2021
Rory McIlroy discusses his quest for more speed and the swing issues he's been struggling with as a result. pic.twitter.com/mFWJmuaZDT
South Korea's Im climbed the leaderboard with six straight birdies from the 15th through the second -- a run that included an 18-footer at the par-three 17th and a 16-footer at 18.
After two late bogeys, Im polished off his round with a birdie at the ninth.
DeChambeau, ranked sixth in the world, was the only player among the world top-10 in the top-10 on the leaderboard.
McIlroy, the defending champion thanks to his 2019 victory after the coronavirus pandemic halted last year's edition, followed his seven-over first round with a three-over par 75 to miss the cut by a long chalk.
AFP