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Will Webb Simpson win his hometown event on Sunday?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  The final round of the Wells Fargo Championship is under way at Quail Hollow Golf Club. Check back frequently for updates and let us know what you think about the competition in the  comments section below.

MORE WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP:  Leaderboard | Shot Tracker | Projected FedExCup points

PLAYOFF UPDATES:

6:15 p.m. — With his girlfriend and his mother watching beside the green, and his good friend Ben Crane waiting to offer congratulations , as well, Fowler celebrated the victory with an understated fist pump. The victory came in the 23-year-old’s 72nd start on the PGA TOUR.

6:13 p.m. — Rickie Fowler is the third player to make the Wells Fargo Championship his first PGA TOUR victory after making a 4-footer for birdie on the first playoff hole. He had to wait a while to make it, too – both D.A. Points and Rickie Fowler left their par putts outside Fowler’s birdie try.

6:06 p.m. — Advantage, Rickie Fowler. His shot from 133 yards landed 4 feet, 3 inches left of the pin. Rory McIlroy only had  124 yards but left himself 34 feeet for birdie while D.A. Points’ pitching wedge landed long and trickled down the slope to the collar, 41 feet away.

6:01 p.m. — All three found the fairway. D.A. Points will hit first after a drive of 317 yards. He’s got 141 yards to the pin. Rickie Fowler’s drive traveled 326 yards while Rory McIlroy’s 3-wood went 339 yards.

5:56 p.m. – Here’s how the three have played the 18th hole. D.A. Points, who will hit first, parred it the first three rounds and then made the bogey on Sunday. Rickie Fowler has gone birdie-bogey-par-par while Rory McIlroy has gone bogey-bogey-par-par.

UPDATES (All times ET)

5:52 p.m. – Webb Simpson, the overnight leader, hit his second shot from the rough at the 18th hole to 23 feet for the birdie that would get him into the playoff. Simpson missed the putt well right, though, so the three playoff participants and their caddies piled into golf carts and headed for the 18th tee.

5:43 p.m. — Rory McIlroy, who played with D.A. Points, had a 16-footer for  birdie to win at the 18th hole but he ended up two-putting for par so we are assured of at least a three-way playoff.

5:42 p.m. – D.A. Points’ tee shot at the 18th hole bounced through the fairway bunker, but he found one beside the green. He blasted out to 20 feet, then left his par putt 3 feet short and with the bogey fell into a three-way tie with Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler. Points has not made a putt outside 8 feet all day.

5:32 p.m. – Rickie Fowler two-putted for par at the 18th hole to shoot 69 and post 14 under. Now he’ll sit and wait to see if there’s a playoff — which would start at the 18th, then continue to Nos. 16, 17 and 18, is necessary.

5:28 p.m. – Webb Simpson’s approach landed in a drain beside the 16th green. He took a free drop, chipped to 6 feet but missed the par putt. He’ll likely need at least one birdie, and possibly two, at the last two holes  — a tall order — to have a shot to win his adopted hometown event.

5:25 p.m. – D.A. Points now leads alone after two-putting for par  from 28 feet at the par-3 17th hole. His playing partner, Rory McIlroy, missed the green to the left, chipped on but couldn’t convert a 6-footer for par to fall one behind with one hole remaining.

5:11 p.m. – Don’t count Webb Simpson out just yet. Consecutive birdies at Nos. 14 and 15 have pulled the overnight leader and local favorite within a shot again at 14 under, tied with Rickie Fowler.

5:03 p.m. – A bunker off the tee and another by the green doomed Rickie Fowler to a bogey after he missed an 11-footer to save par at the 16th hole. He’s one behind the leaders, Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points.

4:56 p.m. – Rory McIroy and D.A. Points both birdied the 15th hole to get to 15 under. McIlroy’s second shot settled on the back of the green, 80 feeet away, and he putted to 14 inches for the  birdie  while Points got up and down from the bunker, sinking a 3-footer for one of his own.

4:49 p.m. – Rickie Fowler is the first of the leaders to the par-5 15th and he took full advantage. His second shot found the collar to the left of the pin and he ended up making a 3-footer to move to 15 under and leading alone for the first time on Sunday.

4:45 p.m. – Rory McIlroy has joined the tie at the top of the leaderboard after getting up and down for birdie at the 339-yard, par-4 14th hole.

4:40 p.m. – Phil Mickelson said he’ll start on his World Golf Hall of Fame speech Sunday night. But first Mickelson, who will be inducted on Monday, had some nice things to say about Quail Hollow after shooting 7 under for the week. “I enjoy playing this golf course.  Tee to green it’s a wonderful challenge.  It’s just the way the holes are shaped, they’re beautifully done.  I think the bunkering here is some of the best I’ve ever seen, too, the way the bunkers were manicured, also the simple form of the bunkers.”

4:25 p.m. – Webb Simpson has started to struggle off the tee, missing his last three fairways. He three-putted the 11th hole from 54 feet, missing a 6-footer to save par, and now trails the leaders by two at 12 under.

4:09 p.m. – Another 23-year-old has taken his place at the top of the leaderboard. This time it’s Rickie Fowler, who made an 18-footer at the 12th hole to join D.A. Points at 14 under.

4:05 p.m. – The golf gods giveth and they snatch it right back. That’s what happened with Rory McIlroy, who hit his approach at the 11th hole over the green and missed an 8-footer to save par. He’s back jn the tie at 13 under with Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson.

3:49 p.m. – Rory McIlroy had a chance to take the outright lead after an aggressive approach to 17 feet at the 10th hole. He missed the eagle putt but converted from 20 inches to join D.A. Points in the lead.

3:45 p.m. – Rickie Fowler has rejoined Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson at 13 under, one shot off the lead, after a tap-in birdie on the par-5 10th hole.

3:42 p.m. — Ben Curtis, who ended a six-year victory drought two weeks ago at the Valero Texas Open, continues to ride that momentum. The veteran from Ohio, who followed that win with a tie for 13th in New Orleans, made six birdies on the back nine to shoot 67 and tied Lee Westwood at 11 under.

3:35 p.m. — The eighth hole, a par 4 that is playing 299 yards on Sunday, ranks as the 14th easiest this week. Webb Simpson struggled, though — hitting his second shot to the edge of the bunker, awkwardly advancing his third just 10 feet and two-putting for bogey. He’s tied with Rory McIlroy, one stroke behind the steady D.A. Points.

3:28 p.m. — After a three-putt bogey at the ninth hole, his 4-footer for par taking the lipping out the left side of the hole, Rickie Fowler is now two strokes off the pace.

3:24 p.m. — Minutes D.A. Points hit his drive into the water at the seventh hole, Webb Simpson did the same with his second shot but he managed to save par as well. The two are one stroke ahead of Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler.

3:20 p.m. — Lee Westwood has likely come up short at 11 under but he’s the leader in the clubhouse after a fine 66 on Sunday.  His first 12 rounds at Quail Hollow were all in the 70s but he shot 68-66 this weekend. The World No. 3 looks like someone to watch at THE PLAYERS Championship next week.

3:17 p.m. — Is this the week Rickie Fowler finally earns his first PGA TOUR victory? We’ll see. His third birdie in the last four holes and down has moved the 23-year-old within a shot of the lead. Fowler got up and down from 74 feet at the par-4 eighth hole to move to 13 under.

3:14 p.m. — Just after D.A. Points nearly holed his prayer of a birdie putt at the seventh hole, Rory McIlroy two-putted from 26 feet for a birdie that pulled him within two of his playing partner and Webb Simpson.

3:08 p.m. — Channeling his buddy Bill Murray, a smile D.A. Points jogged after his 69-footer for  birdie at the seventh hole only to see it stop 3 inches shy of the hole. Still, the clutch par, that included a penalty stroke when he drove into the water, enabled Points to stay even with Webb Simpson at 14 under and two shots ahead of their nearest competitors.

3:01 p.m. — Nick Watney has just tumbled down the leaderboard after a triple bogey at the par-5 seventh hole where he hit two balls into the water. The second round leader is now 10 under and four strokes off the pace.

2:58 p.m. — As quickly as he gained sole possession of the lead, Webb Simpson relinquished it. His tee shot came up short of the green at the par-3 sixth and he missed the 9-footer to save par. So he drops back to 14 under and into another tie with D.A. Points.

2:50 p.m. — Webb Simpson has broken out of the tie with D.A. Points, getting up and down from beside the right greenside bunker at the fifth hole, making a 3-footer to get to 15 under.  The 72-hole record is 16 under, shot by Anthony Kim in his 2008 victory.

2:45 p.m. — John Senden had a difficult time on the back nine on Saturday with three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey at the 17th hole. He’s going in the right direction in the final round, though, with two birdies in his fnirst seven holes to move to 12 under and two strokes off the lead.

2:26 p.m. — Nick Watney has gained a shot on the leaders with a two-putt birdie from 37 feet at the par-5 fifth hole. He’s 13 under and one behind his host for the week, Webb Simpson, and D.A. Points.

2:14 p.m. — Rory McIlroy’s putter isn’t being very cooperative. He had a 41-footer at the fourth hole, hit it 8 feet by and then missed the putt for his second consecutive bogey. He’s now in that tie for fifth at 11 under, three strokes behind. The Northern Irishman needs to finish in a two-way tie for seventh or better to regain the No. 1 ranking in the world.

2:09 p.m. — James Driscoll is working on his best finish at the Wells Fargo Championship. He’s 5 under through 11 holes and has not made a bogey, moving into a tie for fifth at 11 under. The UVa product’s best in five previous starts at Quail Hollow is a tie for 25th in 2008.

1:58 p.m. — Rory McIlroy is back where he started at 12 under after missing a 7-footer for par at the third hole.

1:55 p.m. — Lee Westwood hit his first bump in the road at the par-4  12th hole. His drive strayed right into the trees, his second came up left and short of the green, he chipped to 24 feet — and the par putt hung on the lip.

1:50 p.m. — Webb Simpson escaped with a par at the first hole, draining a 10-footer after hitting his approach from the fairway bunker over the green. He’s bidding to become the fourth 54-hole leader to go on to win the Wells Fargo Championship in the tournament’s 10-year history.

1:45 p.m. — D.A. Points and Rory McIlroy have each birdied the second hole. With his 6-footer, Points tied Webb Simpson for the lead while McIlroy’s 20-footer moved him within a shot of the lead.

1:40 p.m. — Everyone is on the golf course now. Webb Simpson found the fairway bunker while Ryan Moore sent his drive left into the gallery.

1:35 p.m. — Phil Mickelson hasn’t been able to build on Saturday’s 68. He made three straight bogeys starting at the third hole but came back with consecutive birdies at Nos. 7 and 8 to turn in 37.

1:25 p.m. — Lee Westwood isn’t letting up after tying the front-nine record of 30. He hit his second shot to 21 feet at the par-5 10th and two-putted for birdie. He’s now two off the lead with Webb Simpson teeing off in 10 minutes.

1:15 p.m. — Arjun Atwal has had an adventurous round with two eagles, two birdies and three bogeys. The 2010 winner of the Wyndham Championship is 4 under through 15 holes and 8 under for the tournament.

1:01 p.m. — Two years ago, Rory McIlroy trailed by four, shot 62 and won by four. Vijay Singh made up a six-stroke deficit when he won in 2005. Is another big comeback on the horizon? Lee Westwood started the final round nine behind but has played his first eight holes in 6 under and now is just three back.

12:41 p.m. — Lee Westwood has climbed into double digits with a 12-footer for eagle at the seventh hole. He’s 5 under for the day and twice that for the tournament, which puts him tied for eighth and four off the lead. The leader, Webb Simpson, tees off in 52 minutes.

12:22 p.m. – Heath Slocum’s last top-10 finish was also his fourth PGA TOUR victory at the 2010 McGladrey Classic. He’s working on another, though, on Sunday after making the turn in 33 and moving to 8 under, which puts him tied for 12th.

12:09 p.m. – Lee Westwood is on a tear, making three birdies in his first five holes. He rolled in a 12-footer at the first hole, a 7-footer at No. 4 and got up and down from the greenside bunker for a third at the par-5 fifth.

Noon – Overcast conditions are expected to give way to partly cloudy skies  Sunday afternoon but right now it’s awfully gray. The temperature will top out around 80 with winds in the 10-15 mph range in the afternoon.

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Webb Simpson is a member at the Quail Hollow Club and has played the course frequently in the 18 months he’s made his home less than a mile away.

Eleven of those rounds have been in competition, but none with the stakes as high as on Sunday when Simpson takes a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship.

The leaderboard is a crowded one with Ryan Moore and D.A. Points one stroke behind at 13 under after rounds of 69 and 68, respectively. Simpson’s houseguest Nick Watney, the second0round leader, is another stroke back, tied with Rory McIlroy, who won the tournament in 2010 with a course-record 62 on Sunday.

There are nine players within four strokes of Simpson’s lead and 13 sitting six strokes off the pace where the largest come-from-behind win took place in 2005 as Vijay Singh overtook Sergio Garcia.  Among those at 11 under is the popular youngster Rickie Fowler, seeking the first PGA TOUR victory of his career.

"I don’t want to get ahead of myself," Simpson said. "I look at the leaderboard and there’s so many great players within a shot or two. So I know it’s going to be a tough day. I know I can go out and shoot 4 under and get beat by two or three. 

"This is one of those golf courses where if conditions are right you can get a string of birdies going. You saw McIlroy a few years ago shoot 10 under. Knowing that, my expectations aren’t too high. Obviously I want to go out there and try to win, but all I can do is kind of control what we’re doing."

Simpson will be seeking his third TOUR win in his last 17 starts dating back to last August’s Wyndham Championship, which he won before a nearly-home-crowd in Greensboro, just 90 miles from Charlotte and 30 from Wake Forest where he went to college. Simpson has nine top-10 finishes during that stretch, as well.

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Can Nick Watney extend his lead Saturday at Quail Hollow?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  The third round of the Wells Fargo Championship is under way at Quail Hollow Golf Club. Check back frequently for updates and let us know what you think about the competition in the  comments section below.

MORE WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP:  Leaderboard | Shot Tracker | Projected FedExCup points

6:04 p.m. – Webb Simpson’s two-putt par at the 18th hole preserved his one-stroke lead after three rounds of the Wells Fargo Championship.  His houseguest, Nick Watney, drove into the creek that runs down the left side of the fairway and made bogey so he trails by two. Ryan Moore and D.A. Points share second at 13 under while Watney and Rory McIlroy are another stroke behind.

5:57 p.m. — A double bogey at the 18th hole has ddropped Stewart Cink back to 11 under. He hit his drive into the right rough, his second short of the green and his third to 15 feet, where he proceeded to three-putt, missing a 4-footer for the bogey.

5:52 p.m. — Webb Simpson has broken out of the pack with a  14-footer for birdie at the 17th hole. He and his houseguest Nick Watney, one of four players trailing by one, have one hole left.

5:45 p.m. — Ryan Moore and D.A. Points are the clubhouse leaders, posting 68 and 69, respectively in consecutive groups.

5:30 p.m. — And now we have five. Stewart Cink  has just made a 13-footer for birdie at the 16th hole to tie for the lead.

5:28 p.m. –The 67 wasn’t flawless but it put Rickie Fowler where he wanted to be — contending for his first PGA TOUR title. ” I had a few mistakes, but other than that, did what we needed to do today, move in the right direction. I’ve had a few Saturdays where I’ve moved the wrong way, and it’s nice to get myself into position where we can go into tomorrow and have some fun.”

5:20 p.m. — The two players in the final group matched birdies at the 15th hole — Nick Watney two-putting from 57 feet and Webb Simpson draining an 8-footer — to grab a share of the lead again. Also at 13 under are Ryan Moore and D.A. Points, who are playing the 18th hole.

5:11 p.m. – A 5-footer for birdie at the 17th hole has drawn Ryan Moore even with D.A. Points. Neither of the leaders have made a bogey on Saturday — Moore with four and Points with two.

5:04 p.m. — John Senden has yet to make a par on the back nine. He birdied No. 10 to tie for the lead, then made three straight bogeys to fall back into the pack. He got two of those back, though, with an 18-footer at the 14th hole and a two-putt from 39 feet at No. 15 so he’s one shot off the lead.

5:01 p.m. – After an early bogey, Stewart Cink has quietly climbed back into the picture, making an 8-footer at the short par-4 14th to move into the logjam at 12 under. His last top-10 on TOUR came at Quail Hollow a year ago when he tied for ninth.

4:50 p.m. – Rickie Fowler is hanging tough in pursuit of  his first PGA TOUR victory. He finished one group ahead of Rory McIlroy and shot 67, which leaves him 11 under and two off the lead right now.

4:45 p.m. – Rory McIlroy flew the bunker and hit a fan on the right side of the fairway at the 18th hole. After he hit his second shot to 13 feet, McIlroy took out a glove and autographed it for the fan, adding “sorry” at the top. He missed the birdie putt but is the leader in the clubhouse at 12 under after a 66.

4:38 p.m. — In case you were wondering, the largest come-from-behind victory at Quail Hollow is six shots in 2005 when Vijay Singh overtook Sergio Garcia with a 66 on Sunday.  Right now there are 25 players within six shots of D.A. Points’ lead.

4:24 p.m. — D.A. Points is holding steady at the top of the leaderboard at 13 under with pars on his last six holes. Nick Watney is back where he started, too, after making a 4-footer at the par-5 11th hole while his host for the week, Webb Simpson is tied with Rory McIlroy and Ryan Moore.

4:03 p.m. — Rory McIlroy and John Senden have swapped places on the leaderboard. McIlroy chipped to 4 feet at the par-5 15th for birdie to go 13 under while the Aussie found the fairway bunker  at No. 11, then missed the green and 12-footer to save par. McIlroy, who turned 23 on Friday, needs to finish tied for seventh with one other or better to go back to No. 1 in the world.

3:49 p.m. — The top 10 players on the leaderboard are all within three shots of the lead held jointly by D.A. Points and John Senden. Five of them are one shot back at 12 under and all are in double figures.

3:29 p.m. — Charlotte’s Webb Simpson has joined D.A. Points in the lead at 13 under with a two-putt birdie from 16 feet at the par-5 seventhy. He had a chance to take the lead outright on the next hole but missed the 9-footer.

3:08 p.m. — The young guns are rising. Rory McIlory, who  made the Wells Fargo Championship his first PGA TOUR, and Rickie Fowler, who is still looking for his breakthrough victory, are tied at 12 under with Ryan Moore, Webb Simpson and John Senden, one behind D.A. Points. Both are 6 under  with Fowler through 12 holes and McIlroy through 11.

2:53 p.m. — Make that five players tied atop the leaderboard. Ryan Moore birdied the par-5 seventh to reach 12 under and tie D.A. Points, John Senden, Nick Watney and Webb Simpson for the lead. Elsewhere, Geoff Ogilvy finished par-par-bogey but still managed a 7-under 65 to reach the clubhouse at 10 under.

2:37 p.m. — Nick Watney just missed a 5-footer to save par at the fourth hole. So we now have a four-way tie at the top with him, Webb Simpson, John Senden and D.A. Points, who drained a 31-footer for birdie at the par-3 sixth.

2:24 p.m. — Rickie Fowler got stuck in neutral in the second round with an even par 72 but he’s put the pedal down on Saturday. He’s just made the the turn in a bogey-free 32 and has moved into double figures at 10 under, three behind Nick Watney.

2:08 p.m. – Geoff Ogilvy is making birdies in bunches Saturday. He’s just gone back-to-back for the third time in the third round, making a 4-footer at the 14th hole and two-putting from 10 feet at the 15th for the second birdie. He’s 8 under for the day and 11 under for the tournament.

1:59 p.m. – Everyone is on the golf course now. Nick Watney made a 7-footer for birdie at the first hole to move to 13 under while Webb Simpson hit his approach over the green and got up and down for par.

1:31 p.m. – Ryan Moore, who started the round three strokes off the lead, has moved within a shot of Nick Watney with birdies on his first two holes. Watney and his host this week, Webb Simpson, tee off in nine minutes.

1:14 p.m. – Geoff Ogilvy keeps climbing the leaderboard. He just birdied the 12th hole – his sixth of the day – and has climbed to 9 under for the tournament.

12:52 p.m. – Rory McIlroy has made two very different birdies on his first two holes — canning a 9-footer at the first hole and a 40-footer at the par-3 second. He’s moved to 8 under and four off the lead with the leaders due to tee off in less than an hour.

12:38 p.m. – It’s a big weekend for Patrick Reed, the former Augusta State standout. The Monday qualifier has worked his way to 7 under with three birdies in his first seven holes. He’s tied for 10th right now – if he stays 10th or better on Sunday, he gets a spot in the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

12:15 p.m. – Jonas Blixt, the Swede who went to Florida State, holed a chip from 37 feet at the par-5 fifth hole and just made his third birdie of the day at No. 11 to move to 7 under for the tournament. He came to Charlotte on the heels of his best finish of the year, a tie for 13th in New Orleans.

11:54 a.m. – Geoff Ogilvy, who played the first two rounds with Tiger Woods and Webb Simpson, has birdied three of his first six holes to move to 6 under for the tournament.

11:37 a.m. – Phil Mickelson missed the 18th green and later failed to convert a 9-footer for par so he finished with a 68 and is 5 under through 54 holes. He birdied his first hole, then reeled off eight pars before heating up on the back nine with five birdies, two bogeys and two pars.

11:30 a.m. – When he finished off a 72 on Friday evening to make the cut on the number, Phil Mickelson said players could come out early and go low early Saturday. That’s exactly what he did, too, getting hot on the back nine – making four straight birdies – to move to 6 under for the tournament through 17 holes.