— Raleigh native Webb Simpson shot a scorching 9-under 63 Friday and sits five shots clear of the field heading to the weekend at The Players Championship.

Simpson was 11-under on the day through 16 holes before finding the water on the infamous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. He finished with a par on 18 to seal his record-tying round.

The 63 ties the TPC Sawgrass course record and his 15-under is tied for the 36-hole scoring record at The Players.

Simpson told the Golf Channel that it felt like putts he was just trying to get close were going in.

"It was a lot of fun," he said. "I felt like everything was working today."

Simpson's round included an eagle and eight birdies, including six consecutive birdies at one point on the back nine.

Add him to the list!@webbsimpson1 is the seventh player ever to shoot 63 at @THEPLAYERSChamp.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/H15eZpkcMN — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 11, 2018

Simpson said he expects the golf course to get tougher over the weekend.

"I just have to keep playing golf and take my medicine when I need to," he said. "If you're off a little bit, you make bogeys or double bogeys as easy as you can make birdies. I don't think any lead is safe."

Fellow Raleigh native Chesson Hadley shot a three-under 69 Friday morning and sits six shots back at 9-under for the tournament.

Hadley got to 12-under late in his second round before stumbling on the final two holes.

Hadley also found the water on No. 17 and recorded a double bogey before finishing with a bogey on 18 to shoot a three-under 69.

Other players near the top of the leaderboard include Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Cantlay, Danny Lee, Jason Day, Steve Stricker and Brooks Koepka.

Tiger Woods at least gets to return on the weekend. He made the cut on the number (1-under 143) after a 71 in the easier morning conditions. Woods was outside the cut line until Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas each made bogey on the 18th. Spieth three-putted from 35 feet, though he shot 68 and ended three straight years missing the cut. Rory McIlroy wasn't so fortunate. He was inside the cut line until hitting into the water on the 17th and making double bogey.

Conditions were ideal for scoring for the second straight day. Simpson took that to another level.

He ended the front nine with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 ninth for a one-shot lead, and then he took off. Starting with an up-and-down at the par-5 11th, Simpson ran off six straight birdies — three straight from the 20-foot range, the most unlikely birdie with the one from behind the 15th green, and another up-and-down from left the of the green on the par-5 16th.