Tour Report: Watson takes over FedExCup lead (PGATOUR.com)

Thanks to his second win of the year, Bubba Watson moved to the top of the FedExCup standings with his playoff victory Sunday night.

With the win, Watson picked up 500 points and jumped from 10th to first in the standings, 119 points ahead of Luke Donald.

Mark Wilson, who was leading coming into the week but not in the field in New Orleans, dropped to third.

Webb Simpson, who lost to Watson in the playoff, moved from 24th to 10th.

Congratulate Watson on his win

It took two extra holes but Bubba Watson got his second win of the season Sunday, beating Webb Simpson in a playoff to capture the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Share your note of congratulations here and we’ll pass it along to Watson.

Playoff play-by-play: Watson wins

Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson finished regulation tied at 15 under. Here’s a play-by-play of their playoff, beginning on the par-5 18th.

No. 18

– Tee shot: Simpson split the fairway with a perfect tee shot, while Watson went left for the second straight time. But Watson actually has a better lie with his ball sitting up, while Watson’s is on an awkward downhill, sidehill lie.

– Second shot: Watson went first and came up just short on his approach, while Simpson’s shot kicked onto the green only to roll through the back and into a sprinkler head.

– Third shot: Watson’s wedge game has been an issue all day and this one was no different. He hit another indifferent pitch shot and the ball stopped on a downslope. No problem, though. He rolled in the putt after Simpson rolled his to near tap-in range. On they go, back to the tee on No. 18.

No. 18

– Watson found the long fairway bunker down the right side with his tee shot, while Simpson again hit the middle of the fairway.

– Despite being in a bunker, Watson hit his approach shot onto the front of the green, while Simpson found a greenside bunker left.

– It took two extra holes, but Bubba Watson’s two-putt from just over 50 feet gave him a birdie and the win Sunday after Simpson failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker and made par.

Watson, Simpson head to playoff

All that stood between Bubba Watson and his second win of the season was 8 feet, 11 inches. But Watson left his birdie putt just short on the 72nd hole to finish regulation at 15 under and in a tie with Webb Simpson.

The two will now head to a playoff beginning on the 18th hole.

In a tie coming to the par-5 finishing hole, both players missed the green short and left on their second shots. Simpson’s third shot, a difficult pitch from the rough, rolled well past the hole and he two-putted for par.

Watson, meanwhile, hit his shot from a fairway bunker short of the green to inside 10 feet and alone the same line as Simpson’s putt. He too was unable to convert.

Of course if it weren’t for a one-shot penalty that Simpson called on himself after his ball apparently moved as he set his putter behind it on the 15th hole.

Simpson issued one-shot penalty

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM Site Producer

If Webb Simpson doesn’t win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans it very well could be because of what just happened on the 15th green at TPC Louisiana.

With Simpson’s ball at near tap-in distance, he walked up to it and was about to putt it out when the ball moved as he set his putter down behind the ball. At least that’s what Simpson told a rules official after calling for one before he replaced the ball and took a one-stroke penalty.

As a result, Simpson and Bubba Watson are now tied for the lead with three holes to go.

Watson now just one back

So much for Bubba Watson being out of this tournament.

The only blemish on the long-hitting lefthander’s card remains that double bogey on the ninth hole. Other than that he has three birdies and an eagle and is now suddenly just one back of Webb Simpson with five holes to play.

The latest of those birdies for Watson came on the 13th hole, where he stuck his approach shot to 3 1/2 feet and made the putt.

Simpson, meanwhile, bogeyed the 12th hole and now is going to have to fight off some nerves — something he struggled with in Tampa earlier this year — in order to win his first title.

Watch: Watson gets wet

Martin/Getty Images

The turning point of this tournament will very likely be this errant tee shot by Bubba Watson on the par-3 ninth hole. Click to watch

Simpson has lead at turn

Though Webb Simpson had never slept on a lead going into the final round of a PGA TOUR event, he does have one thing working for him: He’s in the top 10 on TOUR when it comes to final-round scoring average.

Playing well when there’s no pressure and doing it when you’re trying to win for the first time are two different things, but Simpson seems to be handling the latter just fine.

The former Wake Forest standout just took a three-shot lead after a birdie on No. 10 — his fourth of the day and second in the last three holes. Couple that with a double bogey by Bubba Watson on the par-3 ninth, where he inexplicably tugged his tee shot into the water and Simpson appears on his way to his first win.

Watson, Simpson separate from pack

At one point there were about 25 players within reach of the lead of Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson.

With the two approaching the turn, the two are still tied after Simpson birdied the eighth hole.

K.J. Choi and George McNeill, meanwhile, both just made the turn in 3 under but they’re still three shots back of Watson and Simpson.

Another stroke back from them is Jason Dufner, who is 5 under in the final round but quickly running out of holes with only four left.

Thanks to his second win of the year, Bubba Watson moved to the top of the FedExCup standings with his playoff victory Sunday night. With the win, Watson picked up 500 points and jumped from 10th to first in the standings, 119 points ahead of Luke Donald. Mark Wilson, who was leading coming into the …