FORT WORTH, Texas – Consider it the Lone Star version of the Sharks against the Jets.
The final pairing Sunday at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational will pit a pair of fan favorites against each other in Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer. Spieth carries a one-shot lead over Palmer and Webb Simpson heading into the final round at Colonial Country Club.
Spieth won a national title while at the University of Texas, and he hails from the other side of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Palmer, meanwhile, went to Texas A&M and is both a Fort Worth resident and Colonial member.
The two are good friends, but that won’t keep Palmer from trying to get the better of their matchup as he looks to win a tournament that is especially important to him.
“A Longhorn and an Aggie, that’s going to be the fun part of the thing,” Palmer said. “I’ll tell Jordan to wear burnt orange and I’ll wear my maroon. But both colors won’t look good with that (plaid) jacket, either.”
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Speaking to the media after Palmer, Spieth attempted to downplay the notion that there is any extra incentive on the line among the two players who went to rival schools – albeit 16 years apart.
“I don’t know about the Aggies/Longhorns, but it will be a fun dynamic,” Spieth said. “It will be cool because as a member, he’ll have tons of support and we have had tons of support this week.”
Spieth also pointed to the unpredictable nature of Colonial and a tight leaderboard, which includes a pair of major champions in Simpson and Jason Dufner who are both within three shots of the lead.
“Let’s not create any kind of rivalries, all right,” Spieth said. “Let’s not create anything that shouldn’t be there. This is, it’s not just us two.”