ORLANDO, Florida – Lee Westwood made a pair of 30-foot putts on the final three holes on Saturday, one for the eagle and the other a closing birdie, for a 7-under 65 that gave England’s eternal wonder an advantage of one shot at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Westwood turns 48 next month and is feeling younger with the years, coming out of a third European Tour title and still easily among the top 50 in the world.
Now he faces US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, whose 68 included a birdie in the par-5, sixth hole, in which he cut so much of the water that he only had 70 yards for his second shot at the 531-yard hole.
Canada’s Corey Conners, who started with a one-shot lead, only managed a 71 on a cool, airy day on Bay Hill, with just a few drops of rain. He was also a shot behind.
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“It’s still good to play these tournaments,” said Westwood. “You have to be in the top 50 in the world and if you had told me 20 years ago you would still be in the top 50 in the world at 48, I could have been a little skeptical. And it just shows that I am still able to play well in those tournaments with all the good young players around me and, obviously, fight, because that is what I am doing this week. “
Domingo was turning into another thriller on Bay Hill.
Jordan Spieth opened with a birdie and a hole-in-one, took the lead by hitting a bunker shot in the par 3 seventh, saved the pair after a tee shot in the water and hit 68 with the kind of round he preferred to do without. Spieth prefers boring golf, and that was anything but.
He was two shots behind, along with former PGA champion Keegan Bradley, who had the lowest score of the week at 64.
Spieth didn’t have the only ace. Jazz Janewattananond hit the 14th hole that pushed him to the IX with a 69, leaving him four kicks back in a group that included Rory McIlroy, who hit the last for 72. Despite such a pedestrian round, McIlroy was very interested in restraint .
They will chase Westwood, who first played for the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 1998. He was 11 years old and 205.
Westwood posted his lowest score on Bay Hill and made only six pairs. He had eight birdies and the eagle on hole 16, along with a pair of three-shot bogeys.
Being in contention is an ‘added bonus’ for Westwood in the API
Westwood has five wins since turning 40, including last year in Abu Dhabi, one of the strongest courses on the European Tour. He met to win the race to Dubai last year, his third time finishing the year as Europe’s No. 1.
So it didn’t surprise him, especially on a course that fits his eyes, although he has only one result in the top 10.
“I haven’t lost any of my length and I haven’t lost any of my enthusiasm for going to work and working out at the gym,” said Westwood. “My nerves are still intact, I am still in restraint and I like it, instead of backing down.”
Spieth is also getting used to conflict. He had chances in Phoenix and Pebble Beach, and was on the fringe of the dispute on the Riviera.
Starting four kicks back, he quickly regained ground with an 18-foot birdie on the first hole and then hit a 5-iron that rolled over the right side of the green, turned towards the crown and fell to an ace.
“This was obviously a really cool time,” said Spieth.
He will play Sunday with Tommy Fleetwood, who had a 68 and was three behind. Spieth had to play alone most of Saturday, when Justin Rose, who scored a 9 on the third hole, withdrew shortly thereafter, claiming spasms in his back.
DeChambeau received one of the loudest screams of the day as he entered the middle of the field. The largest gallery stayed behind the sixth T-shirt to see if it would go green. He took a good right, but it was still a thrill for them to see DeChambeau grab the driver and explode.
The fans huddled behind the ropes on the other side of the water let out a big shout when their ball went down and landed on the bum, 70 meters from the pin.
“Oh, man, I felt like a kid again, for sure,” said DeChambeau. “It was exciting, especially when you did it. It was almost like winning a tournament. It’s the kind of feeling I had. It was like, ‘Oh, I did it.’ I had the same chills and sensations when I saw him clearly and there were no splashes. I gave the fans what they wanted. “
The tournament is only decided on Sunday and, with almost no rain, the greens are unlikely to lose speed and steadiness. McIlroy likes his position. Westwood likes him even more.