Jordan Spieth takes a one-shot lead into the weekend at a weather-affected Charles Schwab Challenge, as Phil Mickelson suffered an early exit in Texas.
He followed an opening-round 63 with a four-under 66 on Friday at Colonial Country Club to continue his bogey-free start to the week and reach 11 under.
Spieth converted from 12 feet at the sixth and posted a 20-foot birdie at the 14th to move into the solo lead, with the former world No 1 then holing a 15-footer from the fringe to save par at the last and maintain his blemish-free scorecard.
“I came out of the rain delay and I made a nice putt on 3, and really felt like I had a chance to birdie almost every hole on that front nine and even into the back nine,” Spieth said. “I didn’t swing it as well. I wasn’t really completing it and it wasn’t feeling great. I knew I was going to kind of have to manage my way around the golf course a little bit, and fortunately did a really great job of that.”
World No 2 Justin Thomas battled back from his opening-round 72 to card a bogey-free 66 and making it through to the weekend, while Mickelson – making his first start since become the oldest major champion in history – bogeyed two of his last three holes to miss the cut by a shot.
