Late birdies buoy Reed at Wells Fargo

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Patrick Reed birdied his final two holes for a 5-under-par 67 to surge into the lead Saturday at the Wells Fargo Championship, but not by much.

With one round remaining at Eagle Point, 17 players were within four shots of the lead.

Reed stuffed a short iron into 4 feet on No. 17 and reached the 580yard 18th hole in two for a two-putt birdie, giving him a one-shot lead over Jon Rahm of Spain and Alex Noren of Sweden.

Noren, a four-time winner on the European Tour last year who is No. 12 in the world, missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have tied him for the lead. He had a 69. Rahm closed with a birdie for a 69.

Reed, going for his sixth PGA Tour victory, was at 8-under 208. He might not even have the lead by the time he tees off Sunday.

The scores have been so tight that when the cut was made Saturday morning because of a three-hour rain delay, only seven shots separated the 36-hole leader (Francesco Molinari) from the players who made the cut on the number.

One of those who narrowly made the cut was Dustin Johnson, playing for the first time since a slip down the stairs bruised his back and knocked the world’s No. 1 player out of the Masters.

LPGA — At Mexico City, Michelle Wie rallied to beat Angel Yin in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play to join Ariya Jutanugarn, Sei Young Kim and Mi Jung Hur in the semifinals.

Four down after 11 holes at Club de Golf Mexico, Wie twice rallied to tie the long-hitting Yin and won with a birdie on the par-5 20th hole.

Wie, winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, will face the thirdranked Jutanugarn, a 19-hole winner over Cristie Kerr. Champions — At The Woodlands, Texas, John Daly shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 to take a onestroke lead over Kenny Perry in the Insperity Invitational.

Daly, 51, is trying to win for the first time on the senior tour — and for the first time since the PGA Tour’s 2004 Buick Invitational. He birdied five of the first seven holes on the back nine and closed with two pars to reach 11-under 133.

Perry eagled the par-5 first hole in a 65. Jerry Smith (66) was another stroke behind.