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Armour and Simpson in front at Allianz

Sat 20th, February 2010

Boca Raton, FL (Sports Network) - Tommy Armour III, in only his second start on the Champions Tour, and Tim Simpson are tied atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Allianz Championship.

Armour, who fired a 61 on Sunday last week to nearly catch Fred Couples, posted an eight-under 64, while Simpson carded a seven-under 65. The pair finished regulation at 13-under 131 and are one stroke ahead.

Reigning Player of the Year Bernhard Langer fired a seven-under 65 and John Cook had a six-under 66 to share second place at 12-under-par 132 at The Old Course at Broken Sound

Armour floundered a bit on the front nine with six consecutive pars. He rattled off back-to-back birdies at seven and eight, but with the way the golfers were making birdies early, it looked like Armour would get lapped by the field.

"On the front nine, I only looked at the board once," acknowledged Armour. "I saw some guys were making birdies. I really didn't pay any attention. I knew there was 27 holes left so I figured you have to make some birdies."

Armour hung in there and parred three in a row around the turn. At the par- four 12th, he ran home a 20-footer for birdie that started his spectacular run to the top of the leaderboard.

He birdied the 13th and 14th holes to draw within one of the leaders, who were constantly changing. At the 15th, Armour sank a 12-footer for birdie and joined first place.

At the par-three 16th, Armour hit a beautiful seven-iron that rolled five feet from the stick. He poured the birdie putt into the center of the cup and found himself alone in front.

The rookie reached the par-five 18th in two and nearly made his 30-foot eagle try. Armour kicked in the birdie putt and held the sole possession of the lead, briefly, at 13-under.

"I had some putts that I could have made that I didn't make," said Armour. "Then I started making them."

Simpson started great on Saturday with three consecutive birdies from the second, but a bogey at the par-five sixth derailed him. He atoned for the error at six with a birdie at No. 7 and got to nine-under par for the championship.

Simpson, who is winless on the Champions Tour, birdied the par-five 11th. That was his only birdie from Nos. 8-16 and it looked like he might be too far out of it for a share of first.

He birdied the 17th and missed the green with his second at the par-five closing hole. Simpson chipped in for the eagle to finish his last two holes in three-under.

Nick Price (65), Joey Sindelar (65), Loren Roberts (67) and Tom Lehman (67) share fifth place at minus-11.

Russ Cochran (64), Jay Don Blake (66) and Mike Reid (69) are tied for ninth place 10-under 134.

First-round co-leaders Jay Haas and Tom Jenkins managed one-under 71s and fell into a tie for 12th at minus-nine.

NOTES: Defending champion Mike Goodes carded a five-under 67 and moved into a tie for 23rd at six-under par...Last year's runner-up Fulton Allem had a one- under 71, but is tied for 69th at plus-three.