Resurgent Jordan Spieth is third-round leader at Colonial by one stroke
Jordan Spieth knows how to finish right out of the rough and still had the lead after three rounds at Colonial.
After hitting his final drive Saturday into the thick grass on an incline right of the No. 18 fairway, Spieth recovered with an approach to eight feet before rolling in the birdie putt that gave him the solo lead again over playing partner Jason Kokrak in the final group at the the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Local favorite Spieth had his second consecutive round of four-under-par 66 to get to 15 under at Colonial, where he was the 2016 champion and has been a runner-up two times. He led by one stroke over Kokrak, who had matched him for the lead with four birdies in a six-hole stretch before his closing par in his round of 66.
“It’s never easy to win out here. It’s a Saturday,“ Speith said. “It’s one of those where you would like to separate yourself and get a big lead, but then he’s going to go make those putts on the back nine, and he’s a player that plays with a lot of confidence. Colonial is a great setting for a good finish.”
The resurgent Spieth has the 54-hole lead for a PGA Tour-best-matching fourth time this season, all in a span of 11 tournaments. That stretch includes his victory at the Valero Texas Open, the first time he had won since the 2017 British Open.
Sergio Garcia, who was 21 when he got the first of his 11 PGA Tour victories at Colonial 20 years ago, was alone in third at 10 under after a 68 with one bogey.
Albert Pujols says he’s excited to have a chance to play on the Dodgers and believes the team is good enough to repeat as World Series champions.
Ian Poulter had the best round of the day with a 64 after getting started with four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine, moving up 26 spots into a tie for fourth at eight under with Sebastian Munoz (70). Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton was tied for sixth at seven under with Brendon Todd and Patton Kizzire.
Midway through the round, Spieth had another recovery out of the right rough, almost as impressive as his final hole even though that was only a par.
Coming off his second bogey of the day, Spieth pulled out a driver and missed the fairway, leaving no shot to the No. 9 green fronted by water. He punched a shot safely into the fairway, pitched over the water to 12 feet, and rolled in the par putt.
Kokrak, who is 35th in the world ranking and only seven spots behind Spieth, birdied the first two holes of the day to match the lead at 12 under.
Spieth made a 13-foot birdie putt at the long, difficult par-three No. 4 hole, but at the No. 5 hole that runs parallel to the Trinity River, he hit his first two shots into the left rough and had his first bogey in 41 holes at Hogan’s Alley this week. He got that stroke right back and stretched the lead to three with his 21-foot birdie at No. 6, where Kokrak had his second consecutive bogey.
Anthony Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are questionable for the Lakers-Suns Game 4 on Sunday, but Davis said Saturday “there’s no chance that I don’t play tomorrow.”
Both players had birdies at No. 15, Kokrak getting even at 13 under only for seconds before Spieth’s birdie there. Korkrak caught up again at No. 14 under with a 13-foot birdie at No. 17 and was in the middle of the fairway at No. 18 when his playing partner went way right.
They will play again in the final group Sunday.
“Jordan birdied 13, the par three, and I walked off the green, I was like, ‘Well, I’m definitely not the favorite here this week.’ He’s a Texas guy. I’m an Ohio guy. It’s fun,” Kokrak said. “The crowds are crazy. But it’s fun to have a local kid and play well and him be in the last group, and I’d be more than happy to spoil it for him tomorrow.”
Kokrak, 36, got his first career victory in the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas in October. That was after he tied for third at Colonial last June, when the Charles Schwab Challenge that marked the PGA Tour’s resumption of competition after a 12-week pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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