Texan Jordan Spieth continued his sizzling
form by firing a five-under 67 to take a one-shot lead into the final
round of the Shell Houston Open.
The 21-year-old, who has already posted five top-seven
finishes on the US PGA Tour this year, rolled in birdies at the first and
the sixth holes to reach the turn in 34, before firing four more gains
on his back nine to move to the top of the leaderboard.
Third Round leaders
-14 Jordan Spieth (USA) -13 Scott Piercy (USA) -13 Johnson Wagner (USA) -13 Austin Cook (USA) -12 Shawn Stefani (USA) -11 Kelvin Day (Eng) -11 Paul Casey (Eng) -11 Charles Howell III (USA) -11 Russell Henley (USA) -10 Patrick Reed (USA) -10 Keegan Bradley (USA)
Spieth
made his first three-putt in 16 tournaments when missing a six-foot
par-save at the 13th for his only dropped shot of the round, but
responded by holing a monster 40-foot gain at the 16th as he continues
to build momentum ahead of next week's Masters.
On his chances at Augusta, Spieth told Sky Sports 4:
"I believe I'll be able to handle certain situations better having
closed a couple of tournaments out now, I know my tendencies, I know the
golf course a little bit better having played a few more rounds on it. "All
in all, I'd just like to hit the ball the way I'm hitting it now, work
on my putting out there, work on my speed control and see if I can get
in the hunt." Monday qualifier Austin Cook finished with four
successive birdies to card a seven-under 65 to stay one shot off the
pace in only his second PGA Tour event, tied-second alongside
first-round leader Scott Piercy and Johnson Wagner as the trio look to
secure the victory needed to book a late invite to the Masters. Cook made
a double-bogey at the par-five 15th, where he took a penalty stroke
after firing his drive into a hazard, but bounced back with a birdie at
the difficult 17th to stay in the hunt. Shawn Stefani's
three-under 69 keeps him outright fifth, while Englishman Paul Casey is
one of four players a further shot back after posting five birdies in
what he admitted was a "tough" third-round 68.
Compatriot
Kelvin Day extended his fine week with a blemish-free four-under 68 to
also stay within three of the clubhouse lead, joining American duo
Charles Howell III and Russell Henley on 11 under. “I’ve made it look a little easier than it has been,” Day told Sky Sports 4.
“I’ve been pretty relaxed all week. I’m not surprised I’m playing well,
I’ve been playing well for a long time. I’ve been struggling with my
scoring this year but we’ve really started to simplify things this week
and my putting’s got a little hot." Patrick Reed, who is tied for
10th at 10 under, had the shot of the day with a hole-in-one with a
five-iron at the 178-yard 16th, celebrating by racing his caddie in a
sprint across a bridge!
Overnight
leader Andrew Putnam was unable to replicate his second-round birdie
blitz on Saturday, making just one gain in a four-over 76 to go level
with Phil Mickelson, whose up-and-down form returned after finishing
with three bogeys in-a-row.
Watch the conclusion to the Shell Houston Open live on Sunday from 6pm on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
SCOTLAND v NETHERLANDS TITLE DECIDER AT ARCHERFIELD ON SUNDAY
Scotland's final fixture against Netherlands on Sunday will be a
title decider in the Under-16 boys' quadrangular international golf
tournament at Archerfield Links.
Both sides have 3pt to their credit from one win and one draw apiece.
The Scots, who drew their Friday opener 6-6 against Ireland, beat Wales
8-4 today to draw level at the top of the table with the
Dutch boys who were held to a 6-6 draw by Ireland.
Details: SCOTLAND 8, WALES 4 Foursomes: 3-1
J Stewart (Old Ranfurly) and C Bruce (Duff House Royal) bt F Thomas and J Pickering 4 and 2
D Howie (Peebles) and M Watt (Inverallochy) bt B Truman and L Harries 3 and 1.
A Hussene (Haggs Castle) and R Carey (Auchterarder) bt A Greville and E Price 1 ho1e.
A Simpson (Strathmore) and C Burns (Balmore) lost to L Jones and T Roberts 3 and 1. Singles: 5-3
Stewart bt Froom 1 hole.
Bruce bt Truman 5 and 4.
Howie lost to Jones 1 hole.
Hussene bt Roberts 3 and 2.
Carey lost to Price 4 and 3.
Simpson lost to Greville 2 and 1.
Burns bt Pickering 3 and 1.
Watt bt Harries 4 and 3.
Playing over his home links, David Mitchell junior, a member of the Leven Thistle club, leads the field by one shot at the halfway stage of the Scottish Champion of Champions 72-hole tournament over the Leven links in Fife, writes Colin Farquharson. Mitchell's bag of 10 birdies for the day was not the best - joint third place Barry Hume (Haggs Castle) had 12 - but he had very few bogeys and birdies at the 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th for an inward 33 in his second round earned him the pole position going into Sunday's final two rounds. Former British and Scottish boys champion Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden) is breathing down Mitchell's neck after rounds of 67 and 69 for 136. He covered his bogey-free last 13 holes in four under par with birdies at the sixth, eight, 13th and 14th. Two shots behind Ferguson are three men on 138 - Barry Hume (66-72), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 68-70 and Craig Ross (Kirkhill), also 68-70. Former pro Hume had five birdies in a row from the 10th to the 15th in his first-round 66 but he also ran up a double bogey 7 at the sixth. Barry boosted his bag of birdies to 12 with gains at the 11th, 12th, 13th and 16th in his second round. Graeme Robertson strung together four birdies - 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th - in an inward 33 in his second round. He had come home in 32 in the first round, thanks to an eagle 3 at the long 13th There is no cut in this tournament which is traditionally the first front-line men's amateur event of the season.
SCROLL PAST SCORES FOR SUNDAY TEE TIMES
SECOND ROUND TOTALS Par 142 (2x71) SS 72 CSS 72 72 135 D Mitchell, jun (Leven Th) 68 67. 136 E Ferguson (Bearsden) 67 69 138 B Hume (Haggs Castle) 66 72, G Robertson (Glenbervie) 68 70, C Ross (Kirkhill) 68 70 139 S Fairburn (Torwoodlee) 67 72, S Gison (Southerness) 71 68 140 D Young (Craigie Hill) 67 73, M Clark (Kilmacolm) 70 70, C Maclean (Balmore) 70 70 141 G Davidson (Winterfield) 72 69, E Wood (Crow Wood) 71 70, B Kinsley (St Andrews) 71 70 142 B Edmond (Bon Accord) 72 70, K Gallacher (East Kilbride) 73 69, S Smith (Downfield) 71 71 143 G Marchbank (Thornhill) 72 71, M Brodie (Strathmore) 69 74, R Clark (Erskine) 75 68 144 A Davidson (Charleton) 72 72, S Rennie (Drumpellier) 75 69, F Grant (Ralston) 73 71, B Carnegie (Glenbervie) 71 73 145 J Shanks (Irvine) 72 73, R White (Leven GS) 74 71, D Lawrence (Ballumbie Castle) 71 74, N Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 69 76, J Wright (Forres) 68 77 146 K Godsman (Moray) 75 71, G Sangster (Cathkin Braes) 69 77 147 A Farmer (Kilmacolm) 72 75, S Stewart (Clydebank Overtoun) 73 74, M Dailly (Erskine) 74 73, M Lindsay (Broughty) 74 73, R Campbell (Falkirk) 73 74 148 R Johnston (Glenvervie) 75 73, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 76 72 149 C Hamilton (Ballochmyle) 76 73, F Carr (Crail GS) 70 79 150 J Muir (Braehead) 74 76, S Robertson (Hazlehead) 76 74, D Thorburn (Tain) 75 75, J Tinlin (Hawick) 79 71 152 D MacFarlane (Greenock) 76 76 153 R Benvie (Braehead) 76 77 154 D Kirk (Drumoig) 75 79 163 I MacCalman (Clober) 85 78
SUNDAY TEE TIMES 08:00 and 12.30 MacCalman, Kirk 08:08 and 12.38 Benvie, MacFarlane, 08:16 and 12.46 Syme, Muir. 08:24 and 12.54Thorburn, S Robertson 08.32 and 01.02 Tinlin, Carr. 08.40 and 01.10 Hamilton, Johnston 08.48 and 01.18 Watson, Farmer 08.56 and 01.26 Campbell, Stewart
09.04 and 01.34 Daily, Lindsay 09.12 and 01.42 Sangster, Godsman 09.20 and 01.50 Wright, Macandrew 09.28 and 01.58 Lawrence, Shanks 09.36 and 02.06 White, Carnegie 09.44 and 02.14 A Davidson, Grant 09.52 and 02.22 Rennie, Brodie
10.00 and 02.30 Marchbank, R Clark 10.08 and 02.38 S Smith, Edmond 10.16 and 02.46 Gallacher, Kinsley 10.24 and 02.54 Wood, G Davidson 10.32 and 03.02 Young, Maclean. 10.40 and 03.10 M Clark, Fairburn 10.48 and 03.18 Gibson, Hume. 10:56 and 03.26 Ross, G Robertson.
Tiger Woods WILL play in the Masters By Doug Ferguson - Associated Press Tiger Woods ended a week of speculation and debate over the state of his game Friday by announcing he will play next week in the Masters.
Woods, a four-time Masters champion, last competed on Feb. 5 at Torrey Pines when he walked off the course after 11 holes because of tightness in his lower back, and after another shockingly bad display of chipping. That followed a missed cut at the Phoenix Open, where he shot a career-high 82. Woods played an 18-hole practice round Tuesday at Augusta National, and Golf Channel said he was seen on the practice range Friday morning at the club. “I’m playing in the Masters,” Woods said on his website. “It’s obviously very important to me, and I want to be there. I’ve worked a lot on my game, and I’m looking forward to competing. I’m excited to get to Augusta, and I appreciate everyone’s support.” He will have gone nine weeks without competition when he hits his opening tee shot on Thursday at the Masters, which is not unprecedented for Woods. He went nearly five months without playing when he returned in 2010 from a crisis in his personal life that led to one of the greatest downfalls in sport. He tied for fourth that year. Scrutiny might be even greater this time around. The last time Woods took an extended break before the Masters, he had won his previous tournament at the Australian Masters. Now, his game has been in disarray over a series of injuries and another change in coaching. Woods has plunged to No. 104 in the world ranking, his lowest spot since a week before his first professional victory in 1996. He last won a tournament in August 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational. He hasn’t had a top 10 since the end of 2013. He missed the Masters last year because of back surgery to alleviate a pinched nerve, and he would up sitting three months. Four tournaments into his return, he again dealt with back pain and sat out the final four months of the season to fully recover and get stronger. But when he returned at his Hero World Challenge in December, he tied for last in an 18-man field and chipped so poorly that some analysts said he had the chipping yips. He would either duff them short or blade them over the green. At the Phoenix Open this year during the pro-am, Woods hit a bunker shot that went over the green and into the first row of bleachers. “He’s got to go out and probably exorcise some of those demons,” said Paul Azinger, a former PGA champion and ESPN analyst “The first little pitch shot he’s got to hit — not chip shot, the first little pitch shot he’s got to hit — will be microanalyzed, and he knows that. There’s a big microscope on that guy. I don’t think he’d show up unless he feels like he solved that problem.” A week after withdrawing in the middle of his round at Torrey Pines, Woods announced that his game and scores were unacceptable and he would not return until he felt he could compete at the highest level. When he skipped the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, he said he hoped to be ready for the Masters and would continue working. Second-hand reports have ranged from Woods playing well at his home club of The Medalist in South Florida to making five birdies in a round of 74 at Augusta National earlier this week. Starting next Thursday, everyone will know.
