Spieth shoots 65 at Kapalua, marches to five-shot TOC lead
New year, same Spieth.
Jordan Spieth controls the Hyundai Tournament of Champions by five shots heading into Sunday’s final round, riding a 4-under run in the final five holes to take a commanding lead over Brooks Koepka.
The lead was almost six.
On the par-5 18th at Kapalua’s Plantation Course on Maui, Spieth swung his 3-iron approach from 253 yards. The low draw hit the fairway just short of the green, bounced forward and a little left onto the green, and it started tracking toward the hole. It almost went in, ultimately ending up 10 feet past for eagle. He made the putt for a third-round, 8-under 65 that has him at 24 under par through three rounds.
Spieth said afterward that his approach on 18 was “the exact same shot I had on 17,” which stopped 22 feet from the hole. He did it better the second time around.
“I didn’t have to hit it hard, “he said. “I just tried to put a smooth swing and get a decent strike on it, I was more worried about the line. When it came off the club face, I hit it almost solid; I didn’t smash it. I hit it maybe a groove low and a groove off the toe, which is perfect for that shot. Then in mid-air I told [caddie] Michael [Greller], ‘Mike, that should be perfect.'”
Spieth, who entered Saturday up four on the 31 other players in this PGA Tour winners-only field, got out of the gates well, making four consecutive birdies after opening with a pair of pars. Then, he hit a speed bump, his first bogey of the week, at the par-3 eighth. Meanwhile, Koepka was making his charge up the leaderboard, biting into Spieth lead as he made 10 birdies and no bogeys en route to 63.
However, Spieth played the final pair of par 5s in 3 under, setting a pace that will be hard to stymie on Sunday. Spieth is in position to challenge for the PGA Tour’s 72-hole record in relation to par. Ernie Els finished at 31 under par in this event in 2003, and Spieth, at 24 under par, needs to shoot another 65 on Sunday to set the mark.
Defending champion Patrick Reed is alone in third, a shot behind Koepka with an 18-under total. Reed is three clear of Brandt Snedeker and Fabian Gomez.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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