Simpson seizes advantage

Scott Simpson thought shooting 65 or 66 at the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge wasn’t out of the question for someone playing well.

Riding a new putter, Simpson matched the lowest round of the tournament with a 6-under-par 66 Saturday and holds a two-shot lead over David Edwards entering the final round of the Champion Tour’s Boeing Classic at Snoqualmie, Wash.

Simpson made five birdies on the back nine, running off a string of one-putts and surging away from a pack of chasers to put himself in position for his first victory in nearly two years. It’s the first time on the tour that Simpson leads going into the final round.

Edwards was equally solid, shooting a bogey-free round, and dropped all five of his birdies on par 4s, some of them the most difficult holes on the course.

LPGA

Helen Alfredsson shot a 67 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Safeway Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland.

Alfredsson matched her first round of 67 for a 10-under 134, one stroke ahead of Sophie Gustafson, who shot 68.

Three strokes back of Alfredsson in third place at 137 are Paula Creamer (68) and Kelli Kuehne (70).

Lorena Ochoa and first-round leader Angela Park are in a group five shots back, and Annika Sorenstam rebounded from a first-round 72 to shoot 68, putting her among nine players at 140.

Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum shot a 74 and just made the cut at even-par 144. Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., missed the cut at 146.

PGA

Kevin Streelman fired a 68 for an 8-under 205 total and a one-shot lead at The Barclays at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.

Steve Stricker, who led by three shots after Friday’s second round, lost a ball on the par-4 12th and finished with a 77 to fall four shots behind.

Vijay Singh, a three-time winner at Westchester, shot a 66 to join Sergio Garcia (69), Mike Weir (67) and Paul Casey (69) at 7 under. Garcia, a two-time champion at Westchester, had six birdies and four bogeys.

U.S. Amateur

Danny Lee moved within one victory of supplanting Tiger Woods as the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.

Lee, 18, defeated Patrick Reed 3 and 2 in one semifinal and will play Florida State sophomore Drew Kittleson in today’s 36-hole final at Pinehurst, N.C.