ORLANDO, Fla. – Lee Westwood made a pair of 30-foot putts over the last three holes Saturday, one for an eagle and the other a birdie closing, for a 7-under 65 surprise that England’s single-handed surprise in the Arnold Palmer Invitation .
Westwood turns 48 next month and feels younger with the years, coming off the third European Tour title and still easily among the top 50 in the world.
Now he goes up against U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, in which 68 included a birdie on the sixth par-5 hole in which he cut as much of the water as he did not. has just 70 yards for his second look at the 531-yard hole.
Corey Conners of Canada, who started with a one-shot lead, could only manage 71 on a cool, lively day at Bay Hill with just a few seconds of rain. He was also one shot behind him.
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“It’s great to still play in those competitions,” said Westwood. “You have to be in the top 50 in the world and if you told me 20 years ago whether you will still be in the top 50 in the world at 48 I might be a little skeptical. And it just shows that I can still play well in those tournaments with the good young players around me and obviously arguing, because that ‘s what I’m doing this week. . “
Sunday was shaping up like another thrush at Bay Hill.
Jordan Spieth opened with a birdie and hole-in-one, took the lead by capturing a bunker bullet on the seventh par-3, saved par after a tee shot into the water and fired 68 with the round type he would prefer to do without. Spieth prefers boring golf, and this was nothing but that.
He was two beats behind him, along with former PGA winner Keegan Bradley, who had a low score of the week at 64.
Spieth did not have the same ace. Jazz made Janewattananond on the 14th hole which he threw into the ix with 69, leaving him four strokes behind in a group that included Rory McIlroy, who moved the last one for 72. A dh despite such a pedestrian walk, McIlroy was deeply into controversy.
They run Westwood, who first played the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 1998. He was at 11-under 205.
Westwood scored his lowest ever score at Bay Hill and made just six pars. He had eight birdies and the eagle on the 16th hole, along with a pair of three-putt bogeys.
Westwood has five wins since he turned 40, including last year in Abu Dhabi, among the strongest areas on the European Tour. He rallied to win the race to Dubai at the end of last year, his third time finishing the year as No. 1 in Europe.
So this didn’t surprise him, especially on a course that suits his eye, even though he only has one finish in the top 10.
“I didn’t lose any of my length and I didn’t lose my commitment to going to work and working in the gym,” Westwood said. “My nerves are still intact, I still go into the fray and enjoy it rather than being a kind of backyard.”
Spieth is getting used to controversy too. He had opportunities in Phoenix and Pebble Beach, and was on the brink of controversy at Riviera.
Starting four hits behind him, he quickly made up ground with an 18-foot birdie on the first hole and then hit a 5-iron that rolled up the right side of the green, turned toward the cup and fell for an ace.
“That’s definitely a really cool time,” Spieth said.
He will play Sunday with Tommy Fleetwood, who was 68 and three behind him. Spieth had to play as a single majority Saturday when Justin Rose, who made a 9 on the third hole, pulled back shortly after announcing back spasms.
DeChambeau got one of the highest cheers of the day by banging into the rough. The largest gallery came behind the sixth tee to see if it would go for the lawn. He was aiming well on the right side, but it was still a joy for them to see DeChambeau catch a driver and explode away.
The fans behind the ropes on the other side of the water let out a big laugh as his ball came down and crashed into the rough, 70 yards from the pin.
“Oh man, I felt like a child again, for sure,” DeChambeau said. “It was inspiring, especially when you pulled it off. It was almost like winning a competition. This is the kind of feeling I had. It was like, ‘Oh, I did it.’ I got the same chills and feel when I saw it clear and there was no shower. I gave the fans what they wanted. ”
The competition will not be decided until Sunday, and with very little rain, the greens are unlikely to lose their speed and strength. McIlroy loves his job. Westwood likes it even more.