Longhorns-Ex Jordan Spieth Grabs Second-Round Lead at Pebble Beach
Former Texas Longhorns golfer Jordan Spieth took the lead after the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am of Friday, adding further support to the idea that he may be rounding back into the form that made him a three-time major champion.
Spieth shot a 5-under 67 at Spyglass Hill to take a one-shot lead over Daniel Berger heading into the weekend’s final two rounds. This is Spieth’s first 36-hole lead since his last victory, the 2017 Open Championship.
For the tournament, Spieth is 12-under. At Pebble Beach on Thursday, Spieth shot a 66. Spieth will play on Saturday at Monterrey Peninsula Country Club before the event’s traditional Sunday finish at Pebble Beach. Spieth won the 2017 event, his ninth PGA Tour victory.
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Spieth is coming off the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he finished tied for fourth, his best finish of the PGA Tour season to this point. There, Spieth shot a career-low 61 in the third round to move into a first-place tie. But, Spieth couldn’t maintain that momentum in the final round, as he shot a final-round 72.
Despite not claiming the win, the fourth-place finish was fruitful for Spieth. He moved from No. 179 to No. 111 in the FedEx Cup Standings, improved on his season-best finish by 34 places, and moved up from No. 168 to No. 101 on the PGA Tour money list.
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A win at Pebble Beach would give him considerable momentum going into the rest of the California swing and the season’s first major championship, The Masters, in April. Spieth won his first green jacket in 2015. Spieth has also won the U.S. Open and the Open Championship, putting him a PGA Championship win away from a career Grand Slam.
Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Longhorns in the Pros for Longhorn Country on FanNation.com and SINow. He also writes for CowboyMaven and DallasBasketball.com, covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com and is the Editor of the College Football America Yearbook. Have a story idea about a former Longhorn now in the professional ranks? Contact Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.