Spieth continues to get his groove back

Takes one-shot lead heading into the weekend at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF.—Jordan Spieth took on a bold tee shot and pulled it off perfectly to set up birdie. He hit a poor 3-wood that went off a tree and back into the fairway that led to another.

Whether it’s good golf or good breaks, it’s making him feel a lot better about his game at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He shot a 5-under 67 at Spyglass Hill on Friday for a oneshot lead over Daniel Berger going into the weekend.

“I like where things are at,” Spieth said, referring to more than his name atop the leaderboard on the weekend for the second straight week.

Winless since his British Open title in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, Spieth wasn’t sure if he was taking baby steps or a giant leap. But, one week after relying so much on his wizardry with the wedge and putter, this was a steady diet of keeping the ball inside the tree-lined fairways of Spyglass, reducing stress and making a few putts.

There was a 45-foot birdie putt he holed on the tough par-3 fifth hole.

He also missed a few inside 10 feet, and his lone bogey was a three-putt from seven feet on the par-5 first hole after he made the turn.

“A little bit improved off last week, which was the goal this week, to just try and feel like I’m getting better each day,” said Spieth, whose tie for fourth in Phoenix was his best result since May 2019.

Spieth was at 12-under 132, his first 36-hole lead since Birkdale.

Berger shot a 66 at Pebble Beach by going 2-3-2 along the ocean on a day filled will sunshine and a Pacific breeze. He holed 15-foot birdie putts on the par-3 fifth and par-3 seventh holes, and in between chipped in for eagle from about 20 feet on the par-5 sixth.

Henrik Norlander had a 70 at Spyglass and was at 10 under, while the group at 9-under 135 included Patrick Cantlay, whose record-tying 62 at Pebble Beach on Thursday was quickly forgotten. His opening tee shot at No. 10 on Spyglass hit a tree and was never found, sending him back to the tee. He opened with a double bogey and eventually got those two shots back until a three-putt bogey on the par-3 third and pars the rest of the way in.

Five-time champion Phil Mickelson won’t be around for the weekend, but he went out in style. Mickelson hit two shots in the ocean on the 18th at Pebble Beach and took a quadruplebogey 9 for an 80.