A tip from his father helps Haas take a one- shot edge
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Bill Haas took a swing tip from his father Tuesday and converted it into the 54- hole lead at the Valspar Championship.
Haas atoned for a threeputt bogey on the 13th hole by chipping in for birdie from behind the 15th green on his way to a four- under- par 67 on Saturday at Innisbrook, giving him a one- shot lead over Graham DeLaet of Canada going into the f inal round.
Jay Haas, a nine- time PGA Tour winner and the Presidents Cup captain the last two times, had a week off from the Champions Tour and spent three days with his son. It seems to have worked. On a Copperhead course that has yet to yield a round lower than 66, Haas put together his second consecutive 67 to reach eight- under 205.
DeLaet, now sporting a beard that would make Old Tom Morris proud, pounded a shot out of the rough and over the water to three feet on the par- f ive 14th for an eagle that shot him up the leaderboard, and he finished with a 68 to get into the last group.
Charley Hoffman ( 67) and Ryan Moore ( 69) were three shots behind.
It’s still up for grabs Sunday because of the nature of Innisbrook, which takes shots away more often than it gives up birdies. Six players were within four shots of the lead, and even Jordan Spieth believes he is still in the mix.
Spieth, who opened his title defense with a 76, made the cut with one shot to spare on Friday and moved into a tie for ninth Saturday with a bogey- free 67 in which he holed a long eagle putt and made a pair of key par saves coming in.
Charles Howell III holed a bunker shot for birdie on No. 12 only to three- putt from 70 feet on the closing hole for a 70. He was four shots behind, with a reasonable chance to win and earn a return to the Masters, which motivates the Augusta, Ga., native this time of the year.
Steve Stricker, who shared the 36- hole lead with Will MacKenzie, didn’t make another birdie after the fifth hole and had to settle for a 72. He also was four- under 209, along with Patrick Reed ( 68), whom Spieth beat in a playoff last year.
Lee McCoy, a senior at Georgia, ran off five straight birdies around the turn and was headed for a very low score until he put his tee shot in the water on the 16th and took double bogey. He still shot a 66, equaling the low round of the week, and was six shots behind, and he gets to play the f inal round with Spieth.