Viktor Hovland was stable in the middle of a wild Saturday with charges and collapses at the Valspar Championship, leaving him in a three-way-deceived for the lead in Innisbrook with two dozen players who are still very much in the mix.
Jacob Bridgeman showed lots of mettle in his first time as the 36-hole leader, who fell four shots behind the trip and gathered for a one-under 70 to share the lead with Hovland (69) and Nico Echavarria (66).
They were on seven-under with apparently everyone on their heels. It includes Justin Thomas, who left on Friday hopeful that he would cut. He shot 30 on the back nine for a 65, his lowest round ever on the Copperhead course in Innisbrook, to finish two back.
Jordan Spieth was entertaining as ever, twice with birdie from deep inside the woods and together with missing a few short pairs of putts and had to settle for a 67.
He was still only four shots behind going into a Sunday where 23 players were separated by four shots.
Byeong she was the only player who reached nine-under with a birdie on the 11th hole, only to make five bogeys over the last seven holes for a 72.
“It’s fun to be in violation, but it’s a little more stressful when you don’t feel super comfortable over the ball,” Hovland said. “But man, it’s fun to watch some putts go in and still watch the ball end up close to the hole and put some good scores up there.”
Echavarria, who won in Japan last fall for its second PGA Tour title, ended well in front of the final groups and played bogey-free for its 66, remarkable to make birdie on all three of the par 3s on the back nine.
“This is a golf course where you don’t have to be someone from the lead who starts getting the leaders,” he said. “We’ve seen it’s a hard golf course. You have to run your ball very well out here. You have to beat the green. It’s tough around the green. So we’ll have a chance tomorrow with a good round.”
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Ricky Castillo enjoyed a 68 and was a shot at the back. Thomas and Shane Lowry (70) were among five players of five below, with one and Billy Horschel (69) in the large group another shot behind. Lucas Glover (69) was part of the group with Spieth on four back.
“The leaderboard is stacked. There are probably like 25 guys – 30 guys maybe – who can still win this golf tournament,” said Jeremy Paul of Germany, who shot 70 and was in the group two shots in the back. “Trying to put a good round together and see where it sets me.”
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