Spieth on a roll in Texas, Clarke contending at Oak Hill
Jordan Spieth hits his tee shot on the eighth hole during the third round of the 101st PGA Championship held at Bethpage Black. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)
Jordan Spieth appears to have rediscovered his magical putting touch with just three weeks to go before the US Open at Pebble Beach.
After clinching his best finish for 13 months when he tied for third behind Brooks Koepka at Bethpage last week, the three-time major winner appeared to have lost none of that momentum when he rolled home 153-feet of putts in an opening 65 in the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.
He was lurking just one stroke behind early leader Tony Finau on five-under par, tied for second with Canadian Roger Sloan as Seamus Power made just one putt outside eight feet in even windier afternoon conditions, reeling off 16 successive pars before finishing bogey-par for one-over 71.
He was joined in 51st by Graeme McDowell, who holed a 25 footer for a closing birdie at the ninth for his 71.
Jordan Spieth makes birdie on the 11th hole during the second round of the 101st PGA Championship at Bethpage Black. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)
"I have been a little better off the tee and into the greens and a lot better on and around the greens," said Spieth who made eight birdies, one bogey and a double-bogey six at his ninth hole for his 65 as Finau dropped just one shot in a 64. Scores
"So ultimately I just stay the course, try not to stress about results and let them come to me."
The Texan (25), who has had one win and two runner-up finishes in the event, holed everything inside 10 feet as well as two 15-footers, a 30-footer and a 46-foot bomb in a 22-putt round that saw him gain 5.5 strokes on the field with the putter.
"I made a couple early, so the hole starts to look a little bigger, and you start to trust your reads fully," he explained.
"From there, it is just the tempo of the stroke, feeling the weight of the putter head and finding the right speed control on those long putts."
It was also a good day for Paul Dunne and Michael Hoey in the European Tour's Made in Denmark at a blustery Himmerland, where players walk through a hospitality tent to the 14th tee.
They opened with three-under 68's to lie joint 12th, just two strokes behind Italy's Edoardo Molinari, Spain's Alejandro Cañizares and English trio Tom Murray, Matthew Southgate and Paul Waring.
Italy's Edoardo Molinari. Picture: Getty Images
The leaders shot five-under 66's to lead by a shot from a six-strong group featuring world number 25 Matt Wallace but Gavin Moynihan was joint 123rd after he went out in 32 but struggled home in 42 en route to a 74. Scores
In the Challenge Tour's D+D Real Czech Open, Ruaidhri McGee's level par 71 left him tied for 45th, five shots behind England's Ross McGowan and Frenchman Robin Roussel as Cormac Sharvin and Robin Dawson shot 72's, Paul McBride a 73 and Conor O'Rourke a 76. Scores
Darren Clarke was just two shots behind leader Steve Parel after he rattled in six birdies in two-under 68 in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill in New York.
The 2011 Open champion was three under with three holes to play when there was a 90-minute weather delay, and he bogeyed the 18th after overshooting the green from the thick rough.
He ended the day tied for fifth with Jeff Maggert and Jesper Parnevik and as Parel headed the field by one stroke from Retief Goosen, Ken Tanigawa and Marco Dawson. Scores
Paul McGinley was among the later starters with 1995 Open champion John Daly, who was riding in a cart again and waiting to hear if the R&A will allow him to become the first man to use a buggy in The Open at Royal Portrush in July.
Daly shot a nine-over 79 while McGinley, who has not played since finishing fourth in last year’s MCB Tour Championship - Mauritius, was tied 56th after a three-over 73.
