Spieth eyes Claret Jug as Travelers unfolds
slew of unfancied bets in the next six rungs and the tour’s top guns failing to mount their vaunted
and Country Club course.
“I had no problem with my game today ( yesterday). Everything’s in place,” said Carlos, who birdied all but one par- 5s and
- mer amateur hotshot on track for a follow up to his PGT Asia victory at Riviera three weeks ago.
“But you have to be extra cautious because the fairways are narrow and the greens are tricky,” added Carlos, who actually bogeyed No. 2 but birdied
feet to storm ahead of the stellar
Crowding him in the pivotal third round are players probably as surprised as the rest but eager to prove their worth for a rare stab at the crown worth P550,000 in the third leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour put up by ICTSI.
round leader Park Jun Sung of Korea, actually fell farther back with
gunned down two birdies in the last three to salvage a 72 and stay
Bisera, a veteran campaigner never to seriously contend for a crown in a long pro career, Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., rallied with a 69 after a 73 and
with Reymon Jaraula, who slowed with a 73 after an opening 69.
Davaoeños Jay Bayron and Jhonnel Ababa and Jerson Balasabas from Zamboanga, three of the pre-tournament favorites, pooled
four although experts maintained no lead is safe at the challenging layout, hinting at a big comeback by the big guns of PGT.
Bayron, who ended a two-year title drought with a victory at PGT Asia Southwoods two weeks ago, turned in a birdie-bogey stint for a 72; Ababa, winner of two PGT Asia legs last January, put on a strong
the last seven to shoot a 70; while Balasabas, eyeing a follow up to his Philippine Masters feat last May, leaned on a strong start of
Joining the troika at eighth are American Lexus Keoninh (73), Ko-
Song (73), Mars Pucay (73), Elmer Salvador ( 73), and Park, who turned from awesome (bogey-free 67) to awful bogey-marred 76.
Park actually dropped two strokes right on the opening hole which he birdied Wednesday, and bogeyed No. 2 ( missed green),
and needed to birdie two of the last three to save a four-over card.
“I played terribly bad – my put-
greens. I just couldn’t do right out there,” rued the 32-year-old Korean.
Tony Lascuña, winner of the
rebounded with a 69 from a 75 he spiked with a closing eagle but the multi-titled former three-time Or- Jordan Spieth
NEW YORK: Fifth-ranked defending champion Jordan Spieth sees this week’s US PGA Travelers Championship as a crucial step ahead of defending the British Open championship next month at Carnoustie.
titles, captured his third major crown last year at Royal Birkdale just a month after a spectacular chip-in from a bunker to defeat Daniel Berger in a playoff for the Travelers title.
Despite missing the cut in last week’s US Open at Shinnecock, Spieth remains confident after making the short trip to TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, for Thursday’s opening round.
“I feel like there are good scores coming,” Spieth said. “In order for (my game) to be major championship ready for the Open Championship, I think being in contention this week would be a big key.
“It’s tough to go win a major championship if you’re not at least
- naments where you had a chance to win. The three that I’ve won, I came off two seconds going into The Masters. I came off, I think, a third
and maybe a second at Colonial to a second and a third, and the Open last year off of a win here. “Those go a long way for me in - board in a major.”
that includes fourth-ranked Brooks Koepka, coming off his second consecutive US Open victory, as well as second-ranked Justin Thomas, who won last year’s PGA Championship, and Australia’s ninth-ranked Jason Day.
Watching contenders struggle in the weekend wind at the US Open only made last week’s missed cut
not missed a weekend at a major “When I saw the scores, I was
because going out early Saturday and you shoot something under par, especially the couple weeks after the golf tournament. I probably watched it every single day it was so cool,” Spieth said.
cool. The last time I walked up that hole was obviously in the playoff. Just this is a golf course that I have pretty much all good memories on.”
Spieth didn’t try to replicate his