American Professional golfer is the man of the moment. He did his part on a day of low scoring at The Open,
and now is one round away from the third leg of the Grand Slam.

The lowest score in major championship history was already in the books Saturday when Spieth was still warming up on the range at Royal Birkdale.

 

Then the 23-year-old Texan delivered a bogey-free performance at Royal Birkdale that he punctuated with a 20-foot birdie on the final hole for a 5-under 65.

 

Jordan Speith at the Open

That gave Spieth a three-shot lead over Matt Kuchar, who did his best to keep pace and shot 66.

Branden Grace became the first golfer to shoot 62 in a major, carding eight birdies -- and no bogeys -- during the third round of The Open on Saturday.

It was the second round this week that Spieth kept bogeys off his card, and this time he really didn't come close to one.
"Pretty stress-free,'' Spieth said. "On a Saturday with a lead in a major, that's as good as I can ask for.''

 

Adding to the pressure was knowing that Royal Birkdale, with a clear sky until the final hour and barely any wind, was never more vulnerable. No one took advantage quite like Branden Grace, who finished birdie-birdie-par and became the first player to shoot 62 in a major.

More than half the field broke par. Spieth was among seven players who shot 65 or better.

"You knew scores would be lower,'' he said. "It's tough to hold a lead when par is not necessarily a great score, when you want to watch out and play a little safer.'' He was at 11-under 199, stealing a birdie at the end when his approach into the 18th stayed just left of the bunker and left him 20 feet away.

 

Spieth clenched his fist when it dropped for birdie, and then Kuchar missed from about 12 feet.
They will see each other again tomorrow, and they put some distance from everyone else.