Jordan Spieth was flying high and fast on Friday morning, soaring up the Charles Schwab Challenge leaderboard in search of his first win since the 2017 Open Championship.
Starting his round on the back nine, the 11-time PGA Tour winner made the turn to the front at 4-under on the day thanks to four birdies. Spieth made two more birdies on the first two holes to take the lead at 11-under.
Then he hit some turbulence.
Despite hitting the fairway off the tee and the green in regulation, Spieth went on to make double bogey on the par-4 third hole thanks to a disastrous four-putt effort from 29 feet (and three from three feet).
3 putts from 3 feet.
Jordan Spieth still remains 1 back of the lead after dropping 3 shots in his last 2 holes.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/jr9kJBGnz6
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2020
It was the ninth four-putt of Spieth’s PGA Tour career, the last coming at the 2019 World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
A bogey on the next hole appeared to signal the wheels falling off the round for the three-time major champion. To quote the great Lee Corso, “not so fast, my friend.”
Consecutive birdies on Nos. 5 and 6 propelled Spieth back into a tie for first at 10 under with Harold Varner III, who then birdied his final hole to take the solo clubhouse lead at 11 under.
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