SAN DIEGO – Jordan Spieth didn’t hold on to his first 36-hole lead for very long Saturday.
No matter.
The 20-year-old had nowhere close to his best stuff during the third round at Torrey Pines, but he still sits just one shot back in his bid to become the youngest two-time PGA Tour winner since 1932.
Spieth was out of sorts all day, beginning with a hooked drive miles left and missed 2 1/2-footer for par, and he made more bogeys (four) than he did the first two days combined (three). Indeed, it little resembled his dazzling form Friday, when on the easier North Course he shot a 9-under 63 while playing alongside Tiger Woods.
On the day, Spieth hit just five fairways and 10 greens while taking 31 putts, but he made a 16-footer for birdie on 15 to pull within one of the lead, then holed a 10-foot par putt on the next hole to stay in position for his second Tour title.
“To finish 1 under on those last five was solid, with the places that I hit the ball,” he said.
Last year, Spieth held a share of the halfway lead at the AT&T National before a third-round 74. He went on to finish sixth.
The 75 here was his worst score in a regular PGA Tour event (non-major) since a third-round 82 at the Memorial in June.