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Jordan Spieth carded a 69 to sit one shot off the lead at seven under; The third major champion opened with an eagle, and led by as many as two shots during his round, but made only three pars through the final 12 holes.
Last updated: 19/03/23 12:09
Adam Schenk leads by one heading into the final round of the Valspar Championship
Adam Schenk held the lead at the Valspar Championship on Saturday, although Tommy Fleetwood and Jordan Spieth closed within one stroke of him heading into the final round.
Schenk hit his approach on the 18th to five feet and holed a birdie putt for a one-over 70, taking a one-shot advantage at the end of a wild and windy round.
“We didn’t have a ton until the end,” Schenk said.
Neither did Fleetwood, who opened the round with a birdie but followed it up with 12-straight pars. He wound up with a bogey-free 69 to sit seven under and share second place on the leaderboard with Spieth.
He was the one who dictated the action on Saturday. The Americans also scored 69, but wasted many opportunities to separate themselves from the field.
Spieth opened with an eagle, and led by as many as two shots during his round. But he made just three pars in the final 12 holes – on four of those occasions, he followed up a bogey with a birdie.
Jordan Spieth leads by two shots at one stage on Saturday
But it ended on the 18th when he hit a tree on his drive, went to the front bunker and then blasted the pin into the collar for the final bogey.
“I don’t have the best stuff in my approach game, but overall I’m in a good place for tomorrow,” Spieth said.
“I made a few too many mistakes, but overall in this situation, I would have gone in for two under.”
The weather was as wild as the round, with winds up to 20 mph and shifting in different directions as the final group was on the back nine.
The expected rain didn’t come, although Innisbrook was hoping for an overnight rain that could have given him a premium score.
Schenk, sitting in the bottom eight, will play in the final group with Spieth, whose game seems to be rounded into shape with the Masters on the horizon.
Eight players within three shots of the lead. Webb Simpson had a 68 that included a bogey on the par-five 14th when he hit the water while trying to lay up.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood in the mix heading into the final round of the Valspar Championship
He is two shots behind, along with Taylor Moore (69) and Cody Gribble (70). Patton Kizzire has a 67 and sits in the bottom five, along with Wyndham Clark and England’s Matt Wallace.
Wallace’s compatriot Fleetwood was the most stable. He birdied the par-five opening hole and the par-five 14th, and had a collection of big par putts to keep the momentum going.
“I just kept plugging away,” Fleetwood said. “Good pars. Birdies are hard to come by.
“I’ve never backed down. I’m very happy with anything that’s better.”
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