Jordan Spieth has started 2016 like it was still 2015.
The 22-year-old Texan, who won five times last season including the Masters and U.S. Open, carded a brilliant 9-under-par 64 to seize a four-stroke lead over Patrick Reed, Kevin Kisner and Fabian Gomez of Argentina midway through the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii.
“It was pretty similar to yesterday except I made a few more, like that chip (on No. 9) and a couple of putts on the back nine,” said Spieth, who is No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings and finished second in his only other appearance at Kapalua in 2014.
“I feel comfortable on any course with bermuda grass because I grew up playing on it. It’s nice to have no blemishes on the scorecard and to be 16-under. But here are a lot of birdies to be made out there for everybody and I definitely won’t have a four-stroke lead when I start the third round.
“But I am extremely pleased to be where I am to start the year.”
Spieth started slowly with four straight pars before posting three birdies in four holes through No. 8, then chipping in for eagle from 36 feet on the ninth hole and adding four birdies in the last six holes, including a 13-footer on the final hole.
Reed, the defending champion who had the first-round lead with a 65 and played alongside Spieth in each of the first two rounds, shot 69 to tie for second with Kisner, who matched Spieth’s 65, and Gomez, who birdied three of the last five holes for a 66.
Danny Lee of New Zealand sank a 15-foot eagle putt on the fifth hole and added six birdies in a 66 and was five shots back in solo fifth, while Rickie Fowler of Murrieta had three birdies on each nine in a 67 that left him another shot behind in a tie for sixth with Steven Bowditch of Australia, who birdied five straight holes through No. 12 while also shooting 67.
Bubba Watson made four consecutive birdies through No. 16 en route to a 68 that left him seven strokes back in a tie for eighth with Brooks Koepka, who sank a six-foot birdie putt and also came in at 68, and Peter Malnati, who had three late birdies in a 66.
Padraig Harrington of Ireland, playing at Kapalua for the first time, holed a 13-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to finish at 68 and was eight shots behind in a tie for 10th with Matt Every, who also had a 68.
