Reed fires 68, builds 2-shot lead at Barclays

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Patrick Reed’s place in the Ryder Cup is looking better with each round at The Barclays, and so are his prospects of winning.

Even with a careless finish Friday at Bethpage Black, Reed rode a fast start to a 3-under 68 and a two-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo and Rickie Fowler going into the weekend of the opening FedEx Cup playoff event.

The Barclays is the final tournament for Americans to earn one of the eight automatic spots on the Ryder Cup team. Reed, who has gone 55 tournaments worldwide since his last victory, came into the week at No. 8.

At the moment, that’s no longer a concern.

“Really, I’m going into this week trying to win a golf tournament,” Reed said. “If I take care of me and do what I need to do this week, then Ryder Cup will take care of itself. So I’m not going into this week looking at it as, ‘Oh, I need to do this for the Ryder Cup.’ I’m going in this to think, ‘All right, I need to go win a golf tournament.’” Reed was at 8-under 134. Fowler mostly likely needs third place alone to have any chance of qualifying for the Ryder Cup, and he has done his part. He played bogey-free in the sweltering heat, though still miss- ing plenty of birdie chances. Par is never bad on the Black Course, however, and Fowler shot a 69.

H e h a s d r o p p e d o n l y one shot all week, missing a 4-foot par putt Thursday that spun out of the back of the cup.

“A ny t i me yo u c a n go bogey-free out here at this place, it’s good golf,” Fowler said. “Feel very good about my ball-striking and tee-togreen right now. See if we can get some more putts to go in.”

Grillo also had a 69, opening with a double bogey and finishing with a bogey.

Ryan Moore (68) was three shots behind, while defending champion Jason Day (70) and Jordan Spieth (67) were four back.

Day tied for the lead early in the round when he ran off four straight birdies on the easier front nine. But his tee shots got wild, he finished some swings with only one hand on the club, and he dropped four shots around the turn.

“I’m really looking forward to the weekend,” Day said. “I feel like I’m really close.”

Spieth, who missed the cut at The Barclays a year ago, shot a 67 to move up to a tie for fifth, which beats having the weekend off.

Spieth is among the few who only have to think about the end of the FedEx Cup. He is No. 5 in the standings, and he already has clinched a spot on the Ryder Cup team.