Spieth sizzles with 66 but Simpson leads in storm-hit Texas

World number two Jordan Spieth fired a four-under-par 66 on Friday to stand second in the clubhouse at the storm-hit US PGA Dean and Deluca Invitational.The reigning US Open champion, who defends that title next month at Oakmont, waited out bad weather that delayed the start of the second round at Colonial for 5-1/2 hours. “Really made the most of the round,” said Spieth, a back-nine starter who birdied four of the first five holes after making the turn. “All in all, it was a fantastic (second) nine that we played.”American Webb Simpson fired a 67 to cling to the clubhouse lead at 8-under 132 with Spieth one shot adrift. “It’s only halfway done,” Simpson said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”Darkness halted play with 61 of 121 players still on the course and needing to finish their second rounds yesterday morning. American Bryce Molder birdied five of the first eight holes but a double-bogey at the 12th hole left him on nine-under, only one ahead of Simpson with four holes to finish. Patrick Reed was level with Spieth at 7-under through eight holes, moving up with birdies at the first and fifth, while India’s Anirban Lahiri was on 6-under after 11 holes.Spieth has been trying to work his game into shape since a back-nine Sunday meltdown last month cost him a Masters title and he missed the cut earlier this month at the Players Championship.A last-round fade cost him a title chance last week at the Byron Nelson Championship in his hometown event, but this nearby tournament could produce the boost he needs ahead of his defending the US Open crown.“I would say (my confidence) is up there close if I want to have it 100 percent trust by major time,” Spieth said. “It’s creeping up. Big step up from last week. It’s getting close. I feel very comfortable over the ball this week. I felt like we put in some good work from Sunday to Thursday.”Spieth began with a three-putt bogey at the 10th hole, answered with a three-foot birdie putt at the par-5 11th and birdied the par-3 13th, dropping his tee shot five feet from the cup. After lipping out from 13 feet for a birdie at 15, Spieth three-putted for bogey at the par-3 16th. “The greens were up and it just took me a little while to adjust,” Spieth said. Spieth blasted out of a greenside bunker to five feet at the par-5 first and made his birdie putt, then sank a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-4 second, an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-3 fourth and a 14-foot birdie putt at the fifth.Simpson opened with a birdie, blasting out of a bunker and sinking a three-foot birdie putt, but took a bogey at the par-4 seventh when he couldn’t duplicate the feat, missing a four-footer after escaping the sand.“It was kind of a grind,” Simpson said. “I had to get up-and-down a few more times today and guess out of the rough what the ball was going to do into the green, but it felt great. I managed my game and I think I only made one bogey and made a couple birdies coming in, so that was nice.”He answered with a 17-foot birdie at the par-3 eighth and took the lead on late birdies at 16, where his tee shot landed three feet from the cup, and 18, closing his day with a 14-foot putt to edge in front of Spieth.Late surge puts Ariya in charge after 36 holesIn Michigan, Ariya Jutanugarn, targeting a third straight LPGA Tour victory, splashed a long bunker shot for a tap-in birdie at the final hole to earn a two-shot lead after two rounds of the inaugural Volvik Championship on Friday.Ariya, who began one shot behind overnight leader Christina Kim, made nine pars on the front side, before clicking into gear after the turn to shoot 68 for an 11-under-par 133 halfway total at Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor.The 20-year-old Thai finished with a flourish at the par-five 18th, where her second shot clattered into a grandstand but ricocheted into a greenside sand trap, from where she demonstrated her deft touch.The closing birdie gave her some breathing room ahead of a trio equal second on nine-under 135—Americans Kim (71) and Marina Alex (67) and Ryu So-yeon of South Korea (67).Coming off back-to-back wins at the Yokohama Tire Classic and Kingsmill Championship, Ariya played with world number one Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who posted her second successive 71 for 142.The Thai said the course had firmed up since her morning round on Thursday. The course condition, allied to her length off the tee, has prompted her not to carry a driver in her bag this week.“I didn’t hit my iron that good but still OK and I start to make some putt on the back nine,” she told reporters. “Today is a lot more firm than yesterday, so it’s really hard to approach on the second shot.”Ariya is trying to become the first player to win three in a row since South Korea’s Park In-bee three years ago. She said she was not thinking about the possibility of winning three straight, at least not yet. “I’m really happy with it and I really enjoy golf right now,” she said.