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Wilson, Villegas tied for Phoenix Open lead

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Mark Wilson charged and Camilo Villegas faltered.

The result was a two-way tie for the lead at 11-under 131 halfway through the Phoenix Open.

Wilson birdied the last four holes for a 5-under 66, while Villegas bogeyed No. 18 when he missed a 14-foot putt for par. The 28-year-old Colombian settled for a 69 after tying the tournament first-round record with a 9-under 62 on Thursday.

Eleven players were within two shots of the lead at TPC Scottsdale, where a crowd estimated at 101,709 attended the second round Friday under thinly overcast conditions.

Anthony Kim (65), Ryan Moore (66) and Rickie Fowler (67) were 10 under.

Tom Lehman, nine days shy of his 51st birthday, had a 67 to top a group of six at 9 under. Play was suspended because of darkness with one player, Matt Every, still on the course. He had a 3-footer for a birdie that would put him at 9 under.

Wilson, who said he was ill early in the week after returning from the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun, Mexico, considers himself the bland one among those at the top of the leaderboard.

"I'm not a flashy player. ... I see Anthony and Rickie and Camilo up there and they're all very flamboyant characters, and it's fun to watch them," Wilson said. "So I'll be somewhat of a spectator too, but certainly taking care of my own business."

Villegas, who mixed three bogeys with an eagle and three birdies, insisted he was satisfied with his second round.

"It's tough to shoot 9 under in one day. To do it two days in a row, it's even harder obviously," he said. "Am I disappointed the fact I didn't go low-low today? No. You just want to stay in the tournament."

Wilson said this is the kind of desert course, with the open par 5s and par 4s and friendly greens, where golfers can get on the kind of runs that he did late Friday.

"I made a lot of putts, so if you're seeing the lines good you can roll off a string of birdies pretty quick," he said.

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