Trailing by three are Freddie Jacobson (68, Monterey Peninsula CC), Roberto Castro (67, MPCC) and Jonas Blixt (67, Spyglass Hill).
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An early morning fog delay gave way to unbroken sunshine at Pebble Beach before Iwata, Jacobson, England’s Justin Rose and Kang held a share of the lead at 13 under midway through the round.
“I just had a bad attitude that first nine”, Spieth said.
With a tree in play he had to play out to the fairway, but finished with a three-footer for par. He was three shots behind, along with Sung Kang, who had a 70 at Pebble Beach. “I’m not going to win the golf tournament, but you never know, you can still post a good round”.
World No. 1 Jordan Spieth didn’t play like the best golfer on tour Saturday.
Both players will be in the Sunday final group at Pebble Beach with their amateur partners.
Mickelson, 45, won’t be the oldest AT&T victor if he closes it out in the fourth round for his fifth title and 43rd PGA Tour victory. He had burnt up the front nine with five birdies before the turn, but was slowed by two bogeys on the back nine – including the 18th.
Reigning PGA Championship victor Jason Day continued to climb up the leaderboard, shooting a four-under 68 at Pebble Beach.
“I’m 1 under on the par 5s, and from where I’ve been, they have pretty much all been par 4s for me”, Spieth said. “And as well as I’ve been hitting the ball, the score was great, but the ball striking wasn’t indicative of how I’ve been hitting it. So I would like to get that dialed in for tomorrow’s round”.
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) – Bernhard Langer followed his opening 10-under 62 with a 66 to increase his lead to seven strokes in the PGA Tour Champions’ Chubb Classic at TwinEagles.
Jimmy Walker, who won the event in 2014, went from 1 over to 9 under for the tournament with a 9-under 63 that included two eagles. “So I just wanted to move it 5 or 6 feet so it didn’t go up the slope”.
Perry and Scott Dunlap were tied for second.
South African star Charl Schwartzel shot a 4-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead in the European Tour’s Tshwane Open at Pretoria, South Africa. Perry had a 67, and Dunlap shot 66.
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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) – Top-ranked Lydia Ko won the New Zealand Women’s Open for the third time in four years Sunday, closing with a 2-under 70 for a two-stroke victory.
