Day seizes 2-shot lead

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Quail Hollow was softer and shorter, producing one low score after another before the final groups even started Saturday in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Jason Day wasn’t paying attention, which probably helped.

When he sputtered at the start, there was no reason to panic that he wasn’t taking advantage of a great day for scoring. And when Day finally picked up his first birdie by blasting a 9-iron out of the rough with the wind at his back from 195 yards to 18 inches on the ninth hole, he was on his way.

Day made five birdies over his last 10 holes for a 4-under 67, giving him a two-shot lead as he goes for his second PGA Tour victory this year.

“I was just staying in my own world, staying in my lane and not really thinking about it too much,” Day said. “I knew that if I could just get myself in position … don’t do anything too silly out there and find a way to get back into the swing of things, that I could come out of this on the better half.”

Day finished with a daring play on the 18th.

With his bare feet in the stream and the ball on the bank well above his feet, he hit a full wedge to the back of the green for a two-putt par. He was at 10-under 203. Nick Watney overcame a double bogey on the par-5 10th hole with four birdies over his last six holes for a 66. He will be in the final group for the first time in nearly four years as he tries to win for the first time since a back injury two years ago.

“To get back in contention, that’s why I play golf. I’m super, super excited,” Watney said. “I’m just going to try to embrace everything that comes with tomorrow and hope I have a chance down the last.”

Peter Uihlein finished the front nine with five straight birdies and started the back nine with an eagle. He shot 62, one off Rory McIlroy’s course record, and wound up three shots out of the lead and in the penultimate group.

Phil Mickelson shot a 64, his best score of the year. He starts Sunday four shots out of the lead. McIlroy three-putted the last hole and still shot 66. As a testament to the conditions, all he did was shrug. “I didn’t play that well. The score sort of flatters me,” he said.