Spieth leads after 3rd round at Colonial, seeks 1st win in Texas
FORT WORTH, Texas — Jordan Spieth shot a 5-under 65, even while missing a lot of fairways and a few greens, to take the third-round lead Saturday at Colonial.
The second-ranked Spieth was alone in the lead at the Dean & Deluca Invitational after three birdies and a huge par save in a four-hole stretch in the middle of his round. At 12-under 198, he was one stroke ahead of Colonial member Ryan Palmer and Webb Simpson.
Palmer overcame consecutive early bogeys to shoot 66. Simpson shot 67 after 3-foot par putt at the 18th hole for a share of the lead lipped out of the cup.
None of Spieth’s seven PGA Tour victories have come in his home state of Texas. The 22-year-old Dallas native tied for second at Hogan’s Alley last year, one of his three runner-up finishes in the state.
Spieth hit only three of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens in regulation. He drove into the rough and was short of the green on his approach at No. 18, but held his hand over his mouth in some disbelief after his 9-foot par chance slid by the hole for his only bogey.
After a 12-foot birdie at No. 9 to make the turn at 10 under, Spieth’s approach at No. 10 went over the green before pitching to about 9 feet and making that putt to save par. He then chipped in from off the front of the green at the 615-yard 11th and hit his approach within a foot at the 12th for another birdie and stayed along at top of the leaderboard after that.
Spieth went into the final round last weekend at the Byron Nelson alone in second place before a closing 74 that left him tied for 18th in the Irving event where six years ago he played his first PGA Tour as a 16-year-old amateur and tied for 16th.
SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
In Benton Harbor, Mich., Rocco Mediate shot an even-par 71 in tricky wind conditions Saturday in the Senior PGA Championship to take a two-stroke lead over twotime defending champion Colin Montgomerie into the final round.
Four strokes ahead at a tournament-record 14 under entering the day, Mediate had three birdies and three bogeys — his first of the week — at Jack Nicklaus-designed Harbor Shores. He matched the course and tournament records with an opening 62 and had a 66 on Friday.
At 14-under 199, the 53-yearold Mediate tied the tournament 54-hole record of set by Sam Snead in 1973 at PGA National and matched by Roger Chapman in 2012 at Harbor Shores. Mediate is attempting to become the first wire-to-wire winner in the event since Jack Nicklaus in 1991 at PGA National.
Mediate won both of his PGA Tour Champions titles in 2013 after winning six times on the PGA Tour.
Montgomerie had a 68 to reach 12 under. The 52-year-old Scot won the major championship in 2014 at Harbor Shores and last year at French Lick Resort in Indiana. He also won the 2014 U.S. Senior Open.
Club pro John DalCorobbo was third at 11 under after a 69. The 51-year-old DalCorobbo is a PGA assistant professional at Brickyard Crossing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the Senior PGA Professional in October to top the club pro qualifiers.
Tom Lehman, Kirk Triplett and Brandt Jobe were 10 under, all shooting 69.
Bernhard Langer had a 71 to drop into a tie for seventh at 9 under in his bid to become the first player to win all five PGA Tour Champions majors.
VOLVIK CHAMPIONSHIP
In Ann Arbor, Mich., Ariya Jutanugarn made a 15-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th hole at Travis Pointe to take a one-stroke lead in the Volvik Championship.
Trying to become the first to win three straight LPGA Tour events since Inbee Park in 2013, the 20-year-old Jutanugarn shot a 1-over 73 to reach 10-under 206. She won three weeks ago in Alabama to become the first Thai winner in tour history and followed with a victory last week in Virginia.
Jessica Korda and Christina Kim were tied for second. Korda had a 70, and Kim shot 72.
Hyo Joo Kim and Suzann Pettersen were 7 under, each shooting 70.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 25th at 2 under after a 72.
BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
In Virginia Water, England, Scott Hend eagled the par-5 18th hole at Wentworth for a 1-over 73 and a one-stroke lead in the BMW PGA Championship.
Hend’s 8-iron approach landed in the light rough to the right of the green, kicked and curled around to 3 feet of the cup. The Australian also eagled the hole Friday.
Hend had a 9-under 207 total on the West Course.
England’s Tyrell Hatton (66) was second, and countryman Lee Westwood (68) and South Korea’s Y.E. Yang (75) were 7 under. Masters champion Danny Willett, two strokes ahead after a birdie on the par-3 fifth, bogeyed five of his last 10 holes for a 76. He was tied for fifth at 6 under.