CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, May 5, 2012 (AFP) - Simpson posted a birdie on the par-four 15th and then rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole as he took a one-stroke lead over fellow Americans Ryan Moore and DA Points in the $6.5 million dollar event.
Simpson, who was tied for the lead after the first round, reached a 54-hole total of 14-under 202, capping his round with a two-putt par at 18..
He was among seven players who had a share of the lead at one time or another in the round.
Moore (68) and Points (69) both shot bogey-free rounds and are tied for second at 13-under 203.
Former champion Rory McIlroy registered eight birdies and two bogeys en route to a six-under 66 for 204.
The world No. 2 McIlroy was tied for fourth with overnight leader Nick Watney, who shot an even-par 72. The young star from Northern Ireland has a shot at regaining the world number one ranking this week.
Leading third-round scores here on Saturday from the $6.5 million US PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship (USA unless noted, par-72):
202 - Webb Simpson 65-68-69
203 - Ryan Moore 65-70-68, DA Points 66-68-69
204 - Rory McIlroy (NIR) 70-68-66, Nick Watney 68-64-72
205 - Rickie Fowler 66-72-67, Stewart Cink 65-69-71
206 - Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 71-70-65, George McNeill 70-68-68, John Senden (AUS) 66-68-72
207 - Ben Crane 70-64-73
208 - Jonas Blixt (SWE) 68-73-67, Richard H. Lee 70-69-69, Seung-Yul Noh (KOR) 68-70-70
209 - Robert Garrigus 69-72-68, Patrick Reed 66-74-69, Brian Davis (ENG) 66-74-69, Tommy Gainey 68-72-69, Jason Day (AUS) 70-70-69, Jeff Overton 68-71-70, David Toms 74-65-70, Martin Flores 68-70-71
210 - Tom Gillis 73-68-69, Sean O'Hair 72-69-69, Camilo Villegas (COL) 71-70-69, James Driscoll 71-70-69, Spencer Levin 72-68-70, Ben Curtis 69-70-71, Jonathan Byrd 69-69-72
211 - Phil Mickelson 71-72-68, Lee Westwood (ENG) 71-72-68, Kyle Reifers 70-72-69, Martin Laird 72-70-69, JB Holmes 71-71-69, Carl Pettersson (SWE) 69-72-70, Sunghoon Kang (KOR) 71-70-70, Billy Mayfair 67-71-73, Robert Karlsson (SWE) 71-67-73, Johnson Wagner 71-66-74, Heath Slocum 69-67-75, Hunter Haas 68-68-75