Jordan chases the X-man in bid to be Renaissance man
Jordan Spieth sprinkled the stardust over the Scottish Open yesterday as he made a charge through the field.
Spieth fired a best-of-theday four-under 66 on another sunny, but breezy day, around the Renaissance Club to lie three adrift of leader Xander Schauffele heading into today’s final round.
And Spieth was bullish as he stated that he’s in East Lothian to win, rather than merely use this event as a glorified warm-up for The Open.
“My goal was to come in here and have a chance on Sunday,” he said. “It always is the week before a Major.
“There’s no better prep for a Major than winning the week before. But having said that, being in contention gets as much prep done as possible, so I’m glad to be in the position I’m in.”
Much has been made of the fact that the Scottish Open is now co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour and so has attracted the best field in its history.
But having started with all four reigning Major Champions, the halfway cut saw the back of Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas.
So partnering Jon Rahm in the stellar game of the day, Spieth took up the baton.
Having seen potential good rounds fritter away on both Thursday and Friday, the 28-yearold Texan was determined not to make that mistake again as he continues to adjust to the links turf and seaside winds ahead of St Andrews.
But it was Spieth’s eye for the spectacular that really came to the fore.
Having turned in one under, he bagged two eagles in six holes to add more clips to his impressive highlights reel.
At the 594-yard par-five tenth, the 2017 Open Champion knocked his second shot to five feet, before holing his 110-yard approach shot for a two at the 15th.
Having signed for his 66, Spieth then proceeded to explain why his manager Jay Danzi had come out on Friday and quashed rumours the three-time Major winner was not about to become the latest big name to join the breakaway LIV circuit.
“I was just made aware after the first round of some false reports, and so at that point, I think that maybe I had not been vocal enough,” stated Spieth.
“So it was just to set the record straight. It kind of stinks that anyone has to necessarily do it, but it’s not really a big deal.
“I certainly love competing and contending in these PGA TOUR events, and another one of those rounds tomorrow may get it done.”
Spieth’s 66 was matched by American Max Homa, who had been inspired by an after-tea 18 holes at nearby North Berwick on Friday night.
Schauffele looked set to eclipse that, before bogeys at the final two holes brought him back to the chasing pack as he too went round in 66.
Last year’s Olympic Champion is in a rich vein of form, having won the Travelers Championship in his last event in the States, and then over 36 holes in the JP Mcmanus Pro-am in Ireland.
He leads by two going into the final day from Spain’s Rafa CabreraBello, the winner of the Scottish Open in 2017, with Spieth one of three players in third.
Of the five Scots who made it to the weekend, Russell Knox leads the way although he is a distant nine
behind Schauffele.
The Florida-based Knox recovered from playing ‘terribly’ for his five-over 75 on Friday to post a one-under 69, helped by birdies at 16 and 17.
That left him at two-over, one clear of Marc Warren, who fired a 70 in the opening group out, and Connor Syme, with Qatar Masters winner Ewen Ferguson another shot further back.
Those Scots will all be aiming for a Super Sunday as they try to clinch a spot in the top-ten and take one of the three spots still available for The Open.
That is not a problem for David Law, though. The Aberdeen man’s 72 left him at five-over for this event, although he would be forgiven for having more than one eye on events to come at St Andrews.