HONOLULU, Hawaii - Webb Simpson was so determined to switch to a conventional putting style that he broke his belly putter over his knee so he could never use it again. He might be the most surprised of anyone to be tied for the lead Friday in the Sony Open.With expectations next to nil from using a regular putter for the first time in 10 years, Simpson ran off three birdies over the last five holes for a 4-under 66 to share the lead with Matt Kuchar and PGA Tour rookie Justin Thomas.The broken belly putter is in my trophy case at home. Its on top, Simpson said. I cant use it. I could use it — it would be a short putter.Kuchar, playing alongside Simpson, had a 63.Calgarys Roger Sloan is the top Canadian in the field after shooting a 67 on the second day of competition. He sits minus-3 through two rounds, good for 56th spot on the leaderboard. The big surprise was Thomas, the 21-year-old son of a club pro in Kentucky — not because of his age, or because its his first time to Waialae, but the way he finished. Thomas figured he couldnt catch Kuchar and Simpson, so he tried to at least get a little closer to them. He hit 8-iron to 12 feet for birdie, hit a wedge to 6 feet for birdie on the next hole, and then pounded a tee shot on the par-5 ninth and had only a 9-iron to the green. He hit that to 18 feet and made the putt for eagle.That gave him a 61 — one off the course record Davis Love III set in 1994, about 10 months after Thomas was born.It was probably the best zone and best focus Ive ever been in, Thomas said. I knew I was playing well, but I really didnt know how many under I was for the day, and I just kind of kept playing. It doesnt happen very often in golf, and its really fun to happen. Its probably maybe only the second time its ever happened to me.The other time was at a junior event. He was 8.It sets up for a dynamic weekend at Waialae.At the top at 12-under 128 were Simpson and Kuchar, who were Ryder Cup teammates last fall, joined by Thomas, one of the promising rookies on tour.They were two shots clear of Tim Clark (65) and Troy Merritt (64). Defending champion Jimmy Walker had a 66 for his 15th consecutive round in the 60s in Hawaii. That put him in a group four shots behind, very much in the picture on a course where the leaders tend to be bunched up until the back nine on Sunday.Even though Simpson is a former U.S. Open champion, he might be the most surprised, and certainly among the most pleased.Simpson has been using a belly putter since 2004. He saw one at Pinehurst during a family holiday, and was worried to take it back to Wake Forest for fear his teammates would laugh at him. But its hard to argue with the results, and he was perfectly content to use it until the USGA and R&A decided for him. They adopted a rule effective next January that outlaws the anchored stroke used for such putters.Simpson knew he had one year left, but he didnt want to be told to change by a deadline. He played the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan late last year, and decided to change.And he did so with emphasis.Im a big believer in not changing something thats not broken, Simpson said. So I felt myself kind of backing out. ... In front of my wife, I snapped it over my knee, and I was going to throw it away, but she said, No, no, weve got to keep it. Youve done a lot of good stuff with that.And hes doing more good stuff this week, though its more than just putting. He forged a share of the lead with Kuchar on the par-5 18th with shot to the front of the green and two putts — a beautiful lag — for birdie.Kuchar, one of the most consistent players in golf, wasnt even aware that Simpson had made the switch until the opening hole Thursday.He made about a 6- or 7-footer for birdie and I said, Holy cow, mark the time and date. Webb Simpson used a short putter and actually made it look pretty good, Kuchar said. Yesterday was a beautiful day of putting, and I joked with him that the USGA might have to rethink banning the long putter because hes putting even better with a short putter. He didnt miss a single putt that he should have made in two days. It was a very, very good effort.The 85 players who made the cut included 16-year-old Kyle Suppa, a junior at Punahou. He had another 69 and made the cut on the number, but the kid has more work left. Because more than 78 players made the cut, there will be another cut for the top 70 professionals and ties on Saturday.Thomas missed the cut in his first two events last fall until he realized that having a PGA Tour card for a rookie doesnt guarantee full status for the year. This weekend could set up well for him, though the emotions of being in the last group at the highest level will be new.That didnt faze Thomas. Hes not sure how he will react, but he figured it would happen sooner or later. Why not now? Vapormax Flyknit Pánská . While Chelsea stayed two points behind leader Arsenal courtesy of Etoos hat trick, seventh-place United slipped 14 points from the summit this weekend. And the gap from the Champions League places is growing as well, with Liverpool six points ahead in fourth. Vapormax Plus Pánská . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.vapormaxlevne.cz/. The Toronto Blue Jays general manager made a series of bold moves that reshaped the club ahead of what would turn out to be a disastrous 2013 campaign. Nike Vapormax Cz . Adam LaRoche will take that. "I like our position in the standings and I like how our team is playing," LaRoche said after Washington swept a day-night doubleheader from the Cubs on Saturday. Vapormax Sleva .3 million qualifying offer to outfielder Michael Cuddyer on Monday.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols is thrilled to have a reason to forget about his first two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. His club is on a roll this summer, and hes hoping the ride extends all the way to October. Pujols and Mike Trout drove in two runs apiece, Jered Weaver pitched seven strong innings, and the Angels completed a perfect homestand with a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Pujols had three hits and Josh Hamilton drove in a run to help the Angels win their season-best sixth straight and move a season-high 11 games over .500 (44-33). "Weve been playing really good the past couple of weeks," Pujols said. "You just need to take advantage of a stretch. It doesnt matter where you win as long as you get those wins. Were playing great at home, but well take them in any stadium." Trout had two doubles, including a two-run drive down the left-field line in the seventh, during the Angels 15th win in their last 17 games in Anaheim, where they have the majors best home record. Los Angeles swept Texas and Minnesota to complete its first unbeaten homestand with at least six games since May 2004. "Were starting to do some of the things we can do on the offensive side, and weve got to keep it rolling," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Albert, when hes swinging it well, hes going to square balls up like that. He got some big hits and got us going." Weaver (8-6) yielded eight hits -- all singles -- and struck out six in another dominant start against the Twins. The right-hander, who threw a no-hitter against Minnesota in 2012, has given up one run in 24 innings while striking out 24 in his last three home meetings with the Twins. Weaver improved to 7-0 in eight career starts against Minnesota, striking out the side on 12 pitches in the first inning and rarely struggling until the sixth. He snapped a three-start winless streak with plenty of offence from his teammates, who scored 35 runs on the homestand. "Offensively, we didnt do too much," Minnesota manager Ron Gaardenhire said.dddddddddddd. "Weaver was like weve seen him before. In this ballpark, we all know its tough to see the ball in day games, and he made it tough on us. After Minnesota loaded the bases against Ernesto Frieri in the ninth, Mauer cleared them with a two-strike double off Joe Smith, who then struck out Kendrys Morales for his seventh save. Joe Mauer hit a three-run double with two outs in the ninth for the Twins, who followed up a four-game sweep of the White Sox by getting swept in Anaheim. Mauer and Chris Parmelee had three hits apiece, but Minnesota yielded 32 hits in the three-game series. "Theyve got some good hitters," Gardenhire said of the Angels. "Those big boys come up in big situations, and they can do some things." Ricky Nolasco (4-6) yielded 11 hits and six runs while pitching into the seventh inning of his fourth straight winless start. Pujols improved to 12 for 22 in his career against Nolasco on an eventful day for the Angels slow-moving $240 million man. He singled home Kole Calhoun in the first inning and stole second when Minnesota didnt hold him on the bag. Pujols then scored when Pedro Florimon lost Erick Aybars popup in the sun behind third base. Florimon is filling in for rookie shortstop Danny Santana, who injured his left knee while running out a double in Wednesdays loss. An MRI exam Thursday revealed a bone bruise in Santanas knee, but the Twins dont know how long hell be out. The Angels added two more runs in the third on back-to-back doubles by Trout and Pujols, followed by Hamiltons RBI single. NOTES: Pujols third-inning double was the 541st of his career, tying the three-time NL MVP with Rogers Hornsby for 30th on baseballs career list. ... Angels 2B Howie Kendrick has a 10-game hitting streak. ... Minnesota recalled INF Jorge Polanco from Single-A Fort Myers. The 20-year-old prospect joined the Twins in time for Thursdays game and made his major league debut as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, drawing a four-pitch walk from Frieri. ' ' '