Danny Lee is Spieth’s closest rival, with the New Zealander two shots behind after an impressive third-round 62.
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Texan Spieth admitted he was desperate to record his best PGA round as he made his way up the 18th, and revealed the conversation he had with his caddie Michael Greller.
Fowler took the outright lead in the tournament for the first time with his last shot of the week, from the middle of the 18th fairway.
His third one landed in the hole.
Spieth followed up a strong Friday showing at the John Deere Classic by posting a career-low 61 on Saturday.
Some have criticized Spieth for playing so far from Scotland this week but Spieth is at the event which he won in 2013 to seal his spot on the US PGA Tour and he sees no major problems in getting across the Atlantic Ocean as well as some major benefits from playing the John Deere Classic.
Lee, who will on Monday (NZT) fly to the British Open, was looking to win back-to-back titles after his maiden victory on the tour last week.
-20 J Spieth, T Gillis; -19 Z Johnson, D Lee (NZ); -18 S Stroud, J Thomas, J Wagner; -16 D Summerhays, S Wheatcroft, W Wilcox, K Chappell.
There were two delays during the third round – a 57-minute stoppage for lightning and a 1 hour and 51 minute suspension because of heavy rain.
Spieth got off to a fast start on No. 2, sticking a 260-yard approach within three feet for an eagle. He made bogey on the ninth hole, though, after a bad chip.
The defending champion sent his tee shot left on the par-5 16th and when he approached his ball, there was a man sitting the ground with blood coming from a cut on his head. But I dont think he did anything wrong, it was just an unfortunate situation.
“My first round was the pro-am, and that went rough”, he said.
He also had an astonishing 106-yard eagle at No17 after his tee shot found the trees.
“It would be really cool to grab a win back at a place that’s special to me, and to take down a guy that’s as hot as anybody in golf will be pretty fun as well (today)”, Spieth said. “It’s just it’s a tough position this year given how successful Rory is and I just need to keep working as hard as I have been and focus on this week and next week and a strong finish for the season”. “I said, ‘Yeah, but I appreciate this and I really want to make this thing.'”.
The 21-year-old American is on course for the Grand Slam having already won the Masters and US Open this year.
But he had no hesitation returning to the course where he won his first PGA Tour title two years ago.
Gillis, who turns 47 on Thursday, the first round of the British Open, was trying to become the PGA Tour’s oldest first-time victor in 20 years, and Michigan’s first victor since Marshall’s John Morse in 1995.
Lee knows he is a heavy underdog.
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While the bulk of the field tried to solve the sloping greens at Lancaster Country Club, Yang charged into the lead on her inward nine with birdies on Nos.
