Jordan Spieth 's hunt for his first major title since 2017 has come into focus over the last few months. The three-time major winner entered the first two Grand Slam tournaments in form, and he landed a tie for third at the Masters...
Charles Schwab Challenge 2021: Jason Kokrak Edges Past Jordan Spieth for Win
May 30, 2021
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MAY 30: Jason Kokrak hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 30, 2021 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Jason Kokrak won his second event this season, claiming the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday after Jordan Spieth's tough afternoon.
Kokrak shot an even-par 70 in the final round to finish -14 for the tournament, two strokes ahead of Spieth, who led after the third round but shot a three-over 73 on Sunday.
With his win at the @CSChallengeFW, @jaykokrak becomes the first player over the age of 35 to claim his first two @PGATOUR victories in the same season since @F_Molinari in 2018.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) May 30, 2021
Charley Hoffman, Patton Kizzire, Sebastian Munoz and Ian Poulter rounded out the top five, all tied at 10 under.
Kokrak was hardly spectacular on the day, finishing with five birdies and five bogeys. He averaged 319.6 yards of driving distance, had a 78.5 percent driving accuracy, hit 66.6 percent of greens in regulation and gained 0.967 strokes putting, per PGATour.com.
But he was good enough to topple Spieth, who offset two birdies with five bogeys. Spieth went into the final hole just a stroke down, but his chances to catch Koprak were sunk when his approach rolled its way into the water.
Golf is just beating hell out of Jordan Spieth today.
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) May 30, 2021
Kokrak came into the final round knowing that playing in a group with Spieth—one of the PGA Tour's most popular players and a Dallas native—would make him Sunday's antagonist for more than a few golf fans.
“He’s a Texas guy. I’m an Ohio guy. It’s fun," he told reporters after Saturday's third round. "The crowds are crazy. But it’s fun to have a local kid and play well and him be in the last group, and I’d be more than happy to spoil it for him tomorrow.”
Spoil it he did.
The PGA Tour heads to the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio for the Memorial Tournament next week, starting on Thursday.
Charles Schwab Challenge 2021: Jordan Spieth Holds 1-Stroke Lead Entering Final Round
May 30, 2021
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MAY 29: Jordan Spieth reacts as he makes a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 29, 2021 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Jordan Spieth is just 18 holes away from a wire-to-wire victory at the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, after another masterful round Saturday.
Paired up with Jason Kokrak, the Dallas native continued to excel at Colonial Country Club as he looks for his second tour victory this season and seventh top-10 finish at the course just outside his hometown.
A moving-day round of 66 brought him to 15 under par for the tournament and one stroke ahead of Kokrak, who shot a 66 as well but remains at 14 under. Kokrak had an opportunity to take the solo lead and put pressure on Spieth with a birdie putt at No. 18, but the 54-foot shot proved too difficult and the Canadian settled for par.
Spieth wouldn't make the same mistake, burying his birdie putt for the sixth circle of the day on his scorecard.
Here's a look at where things stand heading into Sunday's final round.
Charles Schwab Challenge Saturday Leaderboard
1. Jordan Spieth (-15)
2. Jason Kokrak (-14)
3. Sergio Garcia (-10)
T4. Ian Poulter (-8)
T4. Sebastian Munoz (-8)
T6. Brendon Todd (-7)
T6. Erik Compton (-7)
T6. Patton Kizzire (-7)
T9. Kyle Stanley (-6)
T9. Tony Finau (-6)
T9. Talor Gooch (-6)
T9. Kevin Streelman (-6)
T9. Brian Harman (-6)
T9. Kramer Hickok (-6)
T9. Adam Hadwin (-6)
T9. Maverick McNealy (-6)
Notables: T17. Harold Varner III (-5), T17. Justin Rose (-5), T27. Kevin Kisner (-3), T27. Collin Morikawa (-3), T34. Gary Woodland (-2), T46. Justin Thomas (-1), T52. Will Zalatoris (E)
Spieth powered through the first two rounds of play without making a single bogey. He wouldn't be so fortunate Saturday. The 27-year-old went 40 holes at Colonial before the par-four No. 5 tripped him up.
A wayward tee shot into the rough left Spieth attempting to make up ground with his second stroke, but he couldn't reach the green in regulation. A two-putt didn't help matters either as Spieth dropped a shot for the first time all week. He'd earn his second blemish of the tournament three holes later when he went way right of the green on a par three. Spieth nearly saved par, but his eight-foot putt stopped one inch in front of the cup.
He played perfect the rest of the way, finishing strong with three birdies on the back nine for his second consecutive round of 66.
Kokrak ran into a bit more trouble out there.
After back-to-back birdies to begin his round, Kokrak gave both strokes right back with bogeys on No. 4 and No. 5—both par fours. It took four more birdies on the back nine for the Ontario native to pull back into a draw with Spieth, and only a missed birdie putt on 18 stopped him from ending the round tied for first.
Despite a few flaws Saturday, Kokrak remains four strokes ahead of Sergio Garcia in third.
The big winner other than Spieth and Kokrak on moving day was Ian Poulter, who provided the round with its namesake by vaulting 26 spots up the leaderboard with a round of 64—six strokes fewer than he used Friday.
Poulter dropped in seven birdies with just one bogey—courtesy of a wayward second shot on par-four No. 7—gaining 3.43 strokes putting as he vaulted into the top five.
Another day like that will have Poulter squarely in the race for the title Sunday.
He'll just have to hope Spieth and Kokrak continue to drop shots in the process.
Charles Schwab Challenge 2021: Jordan Spieth Takes 1-Shot Lead After Round 2
May 29, 2021
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MAY 28: Jordan Spieth hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 28, 2021 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Dallas native Jordan Spieth continued making himself right at home during second-round action at the Charles Schwab Challenge in nearby Fort Worth, Texas, finishing his second atop the leaderboard for the second consecutive day.
Spieth shot a 66 to move to 11-under par and one stroke ahead of Jason Kokrak, who set the pace on Friday with a round of 65.
Colonial Country Club has typically brought out the best in Spieth. Friday was no different. In his eight previous PGA events at the course, the 27-year-old has six top-ten finishes, two second-place finishes and one victory—the 2016 Dean & Deluca Invitational.
Two rounds into this season's turn at Colonial, Spieth is on track to pick up his second victory at the annual event as well as his second victory on tour in 2021.
Here's a look at the players chasing the Texan into the weekend.
Charles Schwab Challenge Second Round Leaderboard
1. Jordan Spieth (-11)
2. Jason Kokrak (-10)
T3. Sebastian Munoz (-8)
T3. Sergio Garcia (-8)
T3. Patton Kizzire (-8)
T6. Maverick McNealy (-7)
T6. Charley Hoffman (-7)
T6. Adam Hadwin (-7)
9. Kramer Hickok (-6)
T10. Brian Harman (-5)
T10. Robert Streb (-5)
T10. Collin Morikawa (-5)
T10. Kevin Streelman (-5)
T10. Erik Compton (-5)
Notables: T15. Tony Finau (-4), T15. Justin Rose (-4), T29. Justin Thomas (-2), T43. Gardy Woodland (-1), Missed Cut. Phil Mickelson (+2).
Despite a nearly two-and-a-half hour rain delay interrupting the start of his round, Spieth was locked in on Friday as he attempts a wire-to-wire victory. Not only did Spieth sink at least four birdies for the second consecutive day, he's now made it through 36 holes at Colonial without a bogey.
"Looks like he's going to try to play a hook, which is tough out of this lie."
That was the type of blemish-free round last week's PGA Championship-winner, Phil Mickelson, could've used.
Instead, the lefty missed the cut by one stroke after he bogeyed the par-four No. 18.
Mickelson put himself in a rough spot after Thursday's opening round of 73 and would have to quickly fix his mistakes in order to make it to the weekend. For awhile on Friday it appeared he was on track to do just that.
After an opening bogey on No. 1, the 50-year-old strung together three birdies in four holes before the turn. Another birdie on No. 15 put him safely inside the cut line before he ran out of steam.
Mickelson bogeyed the par-three No. 16 to drop right onto the cut line before a closing bogey on No. 18 ended his tournament early.
Now the attention turns to Kokrak and Spieth in Round 3 as the two attempt to stay ahead of the field on moving day. If Kokrak plays anything like he did on Friday, that shouldn't be much of an issue.
Jason Kokrak cards second-consecutive 65 and holds the @CSChallengeFW clubhouse lead at 10-under.
The 130 total through two rounds marks Kokrak's lowest 36-hole since 2018The Greenbrier (129), where he finished T3.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) May 28, 2021
The 36-year-old Canadian had one bogey on six birdies with some impressive work in the short game. Kokrak hit 77.8 percent of his greens in regulation, but gained 1.6 strokes putting.
A strong game off the tee on Saturday could boost his odds significantly, but Kokrak has proven he can make those shots up on the back end.
As Kokrak prepares to tee off with Spieth for the third round of play, a second tour victory this season remains in sight for both players.
Charles Schwab Challenge 2021: Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia Share Lead After Round 1
May 27, 2021
Jordan Spieth follows his shot off the 12th tee during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, May 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia lead a quality field at the Charles Schwab Challenge after each shot 63 in the first round.
Both golfers finished with a bogey-free round Thursday at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, to finish seven strokes under par. Spieth and Garcia sit two strokes clear of Erik Compton and Jason Kokrak, who are tied for third place after 18 holes.
Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed are among those also in attendance in the competitive invitational that has a $7.5 million purse.
Round 1 Leaderboard
T1. Jordan Spieth (-7)
T1. Sergio Garcia (-7)
T3. Erik Compton (-5)
T3. Jason Kokrak (-5)
T5. Adam Hadwin (-4)
T5. Brandt Snedeker (-4)
T5. Kramer Hickok (-4)
T8. Patton Kizzire (-3)
T8. Cameron Tringale (-3)
T8. Talor Gooch (-3)
T8. Robert Streb (-3)
T8. Sebastian Munoz (-3)
T8. Byeong Hun An (-3)
Full leaderboard and stats available at PGATour.com.
It was Spieth who set the early standard Thursday when he shot 63 in the morning session that featured seven birdies.
He looked especially good with his approach shots throughout the round.
Spieth excelled on the green as well while finishing with 4.216 strokes gained putting. The 27-year-old has six top-10 finishes in his last nine starts and has always played well at this event.
Jordan Spieth opens with a 7-under 63. Six career top-10s in eight starts at Colonial. Think he kinda likes this place.
It could make the University of Texas product a top contender for the rest of this event.
Sergio Garcia showed it was not going to be a runaway, however. The veteran finished with his own 63 and was especially impressive around the turn with a run that included three straight birdies leading to an eagle on No. 11.
It could create an exciting battle at the top of the leaderboard with three rounds to play.
Other big names didn't fare as well, including Mickelson, who shot 73 in his first round after winning the PGA Championship on Sunday. He didn't seem to mind when discussing it after the round.
Thomas, the world's No. 2-ranked player, also struggled on his way to a plus-2 score of 72, sitting tied for 69th after the first round.
These players will have to return with low scores in the second round in order to finish above the cut line.
PGA Championship 2021: Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka Top Leaderboard Entering Round 4
May 22, 2021
KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 22: Phil Mickelson of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort's Ocean Course on May 22, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/PGA of America/PGA of America via Getty Images)
Phil Mickelson gave the field a chance to catch him Saturday at the PGA Championship on Kiawah Island's Ocean Course. They may regret missing the opportunity.
As the 50-year-old searches for his first Wanamaker Trophy since 2005, Mickelson ran the gamut of emotions on the course, opening up what felt like an insurmountable lead on the front nine only to give it all back after the turn.
It hardly mattered, anyway. Mickelson retained the lead after 54 holes and will enter the final round Sunday as the man to beat.
Is ... is this the best Phil Mickelson has ever played in a major championship?
That's despite continued charges from the likes of Brooks Koepka, Louis Oosthuizen and Kevin Streelman, who continued to put pressure on Mickelson throughout Saturday.
Here's a look at the leaderboard—and Mickelson's wild round—as moving day comes to a close in South Carolina.
Phil Mickelson is the oldest player to hold 54-hole lead in PGA Championship history (4th 50-year-old at any major in masters era).
It has been 16 years since he won at 2005 PGA, would be longest gap between wins at a single major in history pic.twitter.com/6j6uRiHb17
Mickelson entered the day as co-leader with Oosthuizen at five under par only to surge to 10 under by the time he reached the tee box at the par-five 11th hole—thanks to a furious front nine.
Things wouldn't continue to look so easy for the lefty on the back nine.
Mickelson was forced to two-putt to save par on No. 11, missing a prime opportunity to run away from the field. Instead, he went on to bogey the par-four No. 12 hole before a disaster of a tee shot found the water on No. 13. The tour veteran nearly dropped in a bogey to avoid too much damage, but just barely pushed the putt.
Mickelson's five-stroke lead evaporated in a fraction of the time it took him to build it up.
After sinking five birdies through his first 10 holes, it was as close to a meltdown as Mickelson had found himself in all weekend.
Things continued to snowball on the 16th tee when Mickelson's attempt to short the water hazard landed in the far right rough and wedged itself underneath a nearby golf cart.
Phil putting one under a golf cart tire is the most relatable thing I’ve seen all day pic.twitter.com/VAV9lQhiuf
Right as rules officials attempted to get Mickelson an unobstructed second shot, Koepka sank a birdie putt on No. 16 to grab a share of the lead at seven under, putting pressure on Lefty for one of the first times all weekend.
280 yards uphill ➡️ 17 feet. 👏@BKoepka finds the par-5 green in 2 and two-putts to move into the co-lead at -7.pic.twitter.com/EsM7yQ1kb5
Mickelson responded by blasting his second shot out of the rough and laying up 104 yards from the cup on the par five, only to watch his birdie putt rim out of the cup as he once again settled for par.
A bogey on No. 18 from Koepka kept the contender from entering the clubhouse tied for the lead as Mickelson ended his day right where he began—sitting atop the leaderboard.
Despite finishing two under with one of the best rounds of the day, Koepka called the round one of his worst putting performances during an interview on the CBS broadcast. It's a pretty fair assessment given Koepka hit 77.78 percent of his greens in regulation only to gain 0.087 strokes putting, per PGATour.com.
Most majors entering the weekend inside the top 3 of leaderboard since 2017:
7 - Brooks Koepka 4 - Tommy Fleetwood 3 - Louis Oosthuizen 3 - Jason Day 3 - Justin Rose 3 - Kevin Kisner@BKoepka starts the day 1 back. pic.twitter.com/jEefS10AaK
One of the most impressive rounds of the day belonged to Jordan Spieth, who along with Billy Horschel tied for the lowest score of the day (68) as the Texas native moved to even par for the weekend after failing to shoot below 73 on the first two days.
The only flaw on Spieth's day came on No. 17. Following a tee shot that flew well to the left of the green on the par three, Spieth two-putted for his only bogey of the round on five birdies.
As Spieth walked back to the clubhouse, his mind wasn't on his game, but Phil's, telling reporters he was rushing to the nearest TV to watch the leader finish out his round.
"It's theater," Spieth said. "I promise you I'm going to turn it on to watch him today. It's pretty incredible."
Mickelson can go from incredible to historic Sunday as he attempts to snap a 16-year drought at the PGA Championship.
AT&T Byron Nelson 2021: K.H. Lee Earns 1st PGA Tour Win; Jordan Spieth Ties for 9th
May 16, 2021
MCKINNEY, TEXAS - MAY 16: K.H. Lee hits his tee shot on the 2nd hole during the final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch on May 16, 2021 in McKinney, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Sam Burns came into Sunday's final round at the AT&T Byron Nelson atop the leaderboard. But 18 holes and one weather stoppage later, K.H. Lee towered above the field.
His six-under 66 put him at 25 under for the tournament, three strokes above Burns and four above Patton Kizzire, Daniel Berger, Scott Stallings and Charl Schwartzel. It was the finishing touch on a brilliantly consistent four days from Lee, who shot a 65 in each of the first two rounds and a 67 in the third.
Lee said after his winning round that it's a long time without a win and he's been waiting patiently to finish atop the leaderboard, so he was excited to get over that hump:
He was awesome Sunday, finishing with eight birdies to just two bogeys. Overall he averaged a driving distance of 269 yards, had a driving accuracy of 57.1 percent, hit 77.7 percent of greens in regulation and gained 1.851 strokes putting, per PGATour.com.
And he hit some of the prettiest shots on the day.
As for the rest of the field, Jordan Spieth (-18)—who came into the day three strokes off the lead—shot a one-under 71 and finished in a tie for ninth.
"Today was a little disappointing. Just was tough," he told reporters after the round. "What a battle. We don't normally get rain in Texas without electricity very often, and so that was definitely a test. But it was fun."
Burns, who shot just two under for the day, will likely be equally disappointed after failing to hold on to his one-stroke lead coming into Sunday.
And then there was Kizzire, who had the round of the day, shooting nine under. It wasn't enough to catch Lee, however.
Up next is the PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina.
AT&T Byron Nelson 2021: Sam Burns Maintains Lead with Solid 3rd Round
May 15, 2021
MCKINNEY, TEXAS - MAY 15: Sam Burns hits his tee shot on the 5th hole during round three of the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch on May 15, 2021 in McKinney, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Sam Burns lit up the course on Friday, shooting a 62. He couldn't match that scorching pace on Saturday, though he did enough to remain atop the leaderboard at the AT&T Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas.
Burns shot a 3-under 69 in the third round to move to 20 under, just one stroke ahead of K.H. Lee and three strokes ahead of Jordan Spieth, Charl Schwartzel, Matt Kuchar and Alex Noren.
That sets up what should be a tight, compelling final round on Sunday.
Burns finished his day with five birdies and two bogeys, averaging 295.8 yards of driving distance, a 50 percent driving accuracy, hit 61.1 percent of his greens in regulation and lost 1.479 strokes putting, per PGATour.com.
"I don't have to play perfect," Burns told reporters after Saturday's round. "Always felt for a long time I had to play perfect on Sunday to win. That's just not the case. You're going to make mistakes. You need to limit those, but, yeah, just go out there knowing I don't have to play perfect."
Namely, can he hold off Spieth? All eyes will be on the star golfer to see if he can win his second tournament in as many months. His 66 on Saturday has him within striking distance.
"I had only played two rounds of golf prior to this week in the last month, so there was going to be, I thought, shaking off a little bit of rust, and I feel like it's been pretty good," Spieth told reporters.
A win for Burns would make him the first player to win his first PGA Tour events back-to-back since Camilo Villegas pulled off the feat in 2008. He won the Valspar Championship two weeks ago.
A win for Spieth, meanwhile, would make him among the favorites—if not the favorite—for the upcoming PGA Championship.
Of course, players like Lee, Kuchar and Schwartzel might yet interject. And spring storms always seem to play a part at the Byron Nelson, which could factor into Sunday's results as well.
"If there are delays, you get pretty used to having to deal with delays,'' Kuchar told reporters. "Kind of expecting that tomorrow will be an on-again, off-again day.''
Expect plenty of drama, too.
AT&T Byron Nelson 2021: Jordan Spieth, J.J. Spaun Share Lead After Opening Round
May 14, 2021
Jordan Spieth reacts after making an eagle putt on the 18th green during the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson golf tournament, Thursday, May 13, 2021, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Jordan Spieth came to play on Thursday.
One of golf's biggest names shot an impressive 9-under 63 on Thursday at the AT&T Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas. That put him in a tie atop the leaderboard with J.J. Spaun.
Rafa Cabrera Bello (-8), Aaron Wise (-8), Doc Redman (-8) and Joseph Bramlett rounded out the top five.
It was a strong showing for Spieth in his first appearance at the Masters following a bout with COVID-19.
"Nobody I was around ever got it," he told reporters earlier in the week about his coronavirus diagnosis. "And then it was the Wednesday of New Orleans when I started my symptoms -- and it was bad for a day and a half, and then it was just kind of annoying for the next five days. Kind of lost energy and sinus stuff."
He certainly looked back to 100 percent, with seven birdies, an eagle and zero bogeys.
The pairing of Spieth, Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler—three old friends who spent much of the day talking trash as they played through the round—was the highlight of the first round.
But let's not forget about Spaun, who joined Spieth atop the leaderboard after finishing the day with nine birdies.
"I haven’t been in this position in a while," he told reporters. "I’m just going to keep trying to do what I been doing last week and this week. … Just stay in the present. You know, don’t be scared. Fire away. Make as many birdies as I can. If I do it, great. If I don’t, well as least I tried. That’s the mindset I’m going into for the rest of this week."
As for the rest of the field, Spieth wasn't the only one to make his return Thursday. Brooks Koepka (-1) is back in action for the first time since the Masters, while Hideki Matsuyama (-4) also returned after his green jacket.
Matsuyama, who won the Prime Minister’s award after becoming the first Japanese player to win the Masters, said he was using the Byron Nelson "to try to find my game again and prepare for the PGA Championship next week."
The Byron Nelson will resume Friday, with the field looking to keep pace with Spieth and Spaun.
Jordan Spieth Says He Feels 'Good' and 'Strong' After COVID-19 Recovery
May 11, 2021
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 11: Jordan Spieth of the United States walks to the 18th green during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Jordan Spieth revealed Tuesday he contracted COVID-19 three weeks ago but has since recovered.
"I feel good. I feel strong," the golfer said, per Ryan Lavner of Golf Channel. "I feel ready to go for a good stretch of golf coming up."
Spieth said the symptoms were bad for the first day-and-a-half, and then he experienced five days he described as "kind of annoying," per Scott Bell of the Dallas Morning News.
The 27-year-old has not played since his tie for third at the Masters, which ended April 11. He is set to return to action Thursday at the AT&T Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas.
Spieth said he initially felt symptoms the Tuesday before the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which was held April 22-25. He had also planned to play at the Valspar Championship in Tampa, Florida, but couldn't.
While the three-time major champion could show some rust after a monthlong layoff between tournaments, he's healthy.
The American had been red-hot before the latest absence, earning a top-10 finish in six of his last eight PGA Tour starts. He has played seven stroke-play tournaments since the start of February and has been fourth or better four times in this stretch.
He also earned a win at the Valero Texas Open in April, his first victory since 2017.
Spieth will try to return to form ahead of next week's PGA Championship.
