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Spieth with another big finish leads by 5 at Kapalua

Not because he cares that much about records.

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After opening in 69-68, he began Moving Day in a three-way T8 on 9-under, seven adrift of 36-hole leader Jordan Spieth.

Spieth was at 24-under 195. “Seeing where my game is, I’m looking forward to having a chance on the weekend”.

“I don’t know what to tell you, the golf course doesn’t play extremely long, you have to keep it in between the beacons and there are really wide fairways, but you just can’t miss them”. And to be honest, with the scoring we’ve done this week, it frustrates me that I have to shoot 4 to 6 under in order to win this tournament still. “Get some close, make a couple kick-in birdies and then make some, one or two, midrange putts”.

However, while the reigning PGA Championship champion did register two more bogeys on the back nine, he did convert five birdies, which included a 20-foot putt at the 13th.

Spieth is also on track to beat the tournament record of 31-under set by Ernie Els in 2003, although he said the South African’s mark was probably safe.

From just short of the 14th green, he chipped into the grain to 2 feet for birdie.

It reminded him of the flop shot he played Saturday at Augusta National, the key shot that kept his big lead in a wire-to-wire victory in the Masters.

In all 78 players had to return to the course to finish their first 36 holes.

With just one bogey through the first three rounds, 22-year-old Spieth is now poised to win his seventh PGA Tour title, with fellow American Koepka needing to overturn a five-stroke deficit. Defending champ Patrick Reed was the only other player within nine shots of the lead.

“Jordan is definitely not letting up and we’re going to have to go out and get it”, Reed said.

England’s Daniel Brooks grabbed a one-shot lead at the BMW SA Open in Johannesburg on Saturday as the field completed a second round held over from Friday due to bad weather.

“This is the furthest under par I have been after three rounds and there’s no complaints from me on that one, but there are 18 hard holes ahead and the conditions are good so there needs to be more birdies”.

“I have to go out and hit birdies, I have to expect Brooks and Patrick to fire eight or nine under tomorrow”.

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Watson endured a turbulent round and slipped down seven spots on the leaderboard as he fired a level-par 73, which consisted of three birdies and three bogeys.

ASSOCIATED PRESS           Jordan Spieth hits from the 14th tee during the third round of the Tournament of Champions golf tournament today at Kapalua Plantation Course