ORLANDO, Fla. – Jordan Spieth got off to a hot start Saturday at Bay Hill.
After sinking a 20-footer for birdie at the par-4 opening hole, Spieth dunked his tee shot from 223 yards at the par-3 second hole. The hole-in-one was Spieth’s third career ace on Tour, following aces at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open and 2015 BMW Championship at Conway Farms.
📢 ACE 📢@JordanSpieth | @APinvpic.twitter.com/4sQXxRe4qn
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 6, 2021
“I hit a 5-iron, it was 205 front, 220 hole, and the wind wasn’t blowing very hard, so I was trying to peel it left to right to hold the wind and land it a little right of the hole. I hit it a little thin but it was right on the line I wanted and knowing that the grass was wet, you get some skid, I thought in the air it was going to be pretty good. Certainly not as good as it was,” Spieth said.
Spieth’s birdie-ace start moved him to 8 under, a shot off the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
He then hit his next shot, a tee ball at the par-4 third, into the water, but he rallied to save par by holing a 32-footer.
Class is in session. 🏫
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 6, 2021
How to save par 101 with @JordanSpieth and Michael Greller. 📝#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/pAgxYHEVcS
The fireworks continued on the next par 3, the 201-yard seventh. No ace this time, but a birdie courtesy a 71-foot bunker hole-out.
Keeping the electricity high. @JordanSpieth holes out from the bunker to take the solo lead @APinv.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/ALDoYlUo9x
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 6, 2021
Spieth then grabbed sole possession of the lead with this 36-foot birdie putt at the par-4 10th.
11 putts thru 10 holes.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 6, 2021
Leading the field in SG: Putting today.@JordanSpieth retakes the solo lead @APinv. pic.twitter.com/0bMISnOjlu
Spieth would two-putt for birdie at the par-5 12th but that was the end of his scoring. He missed a 6-footer for par at the 14th and an 8-footer for par at the 17th to drop two shots coming in. He finished with a 4-under 68 and, at 9 under par, was two back of leader Lee Westwood.