Ryan Moore made four birdies down the stretch to shoot a bogey-free 4-under-par 67 and took a one-stroke lead over Jordan Spieth into the final round of the Valspar Championship on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla.
Moore, who has won four times on the PGA Tour including the CIMB Classic in Malaysia the last two years, carded 12 consecutive birdies before holing eight-foot birdie putts on the 13th and 14th holes.
Then he rolled in a 31-footer on No. 16 and a five-footer on the final hole.
“I just started hitting it closer (to the hole),” said Moore, who played college golf at UNLV. “I missed a lot of greens on the front nine, but hit some good chips and made some good par saves.
“I was finally able to get some birdie chances and put them in the hole. You can’t force things on this course. It dictates what you do on a lot of holes.”
Spieth, who has become one top 10 players in the world despite winning only the 2012 John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour, made his only bogey on the third hole while posting a 68.
Derek Ernst holed a 16-foot eagle putt on the third hole to start his 69 and was two shots back in third, followed another stroke behind by Sean O’Hair, who birdied two of the last three holes and also had a 69.
Patrick Reed carded a second straight 68 and was four shots behind in a tie for fifth with Matt Kuchar, who also had a 68, and Henrik Stenson of Sweden, who finished at 71.
