Bill Haas leads Valspar Championship by one shot going into final round

By Andy Charles

Highlights from day three of the Valspar Championship at Palm Harbor in Florida.

Bill Haas will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Valspar Championship after a fine round of 67 on 'moving day'.

Haas carded five birdies in his third round to move up from third into the sole lead as halfway leaders Steve Stricker and Will MacKenzie suffered their fair share of struggles at Innisbrook on Saturday.

Leaderboard

Valspar Championship

The six-time PGA Tour winner opened his round with a fine birdie at the first, and he picked up another shot at the fourth on his way to a front-nine of 34.

Haas took the lead with birdies at the 10th and 11th, and he rallied from a rare mistake at the 13th by holing from off the green at the short 15th to reach his closing 54-hole total of eight under.

Canada's Graham DeLaet emerged as his closest challenger thanks to a sublime eagle at the long 14th. 

Advertisement
Image: Graham DeLaet is Haas' closest challenger

DeLaet was level for the day as he stood on the tee, but a 269-yard approach over the water landed just over three feet from the pin, and he was able to convert to pick up a couple of shots. A further birdie at the 16th brought him within a stroke of Haas.

There is a two-shot gap back to the tie for third place, where Charley Hoffman and Ryan Moore sit on five under waiting to make a challenge on the final day.

Also See:

Hoffman carded a four-under 67, but was disappointed to drop a shot at the last, while Moore wasted a handful of chances to improve on his round of 69 that included two birdies and 16 pars.

Image: Steve Stricker dropped four shots off the pace

Stricker dropped back to a tie for fifth after a round of 72 - he had two birdies and three bogeys - and he shares that spot with Patrick Reed (67) and Charles Howell III (70).

MacKenzie had a day to forget, with his round of 74 seeing him join a tie for ninth place, six shots behind Haas. He had five bogeys on a sloppy day.

He is joined on two under by world No 1 Jordan Spieth, whose improved form saw him move up a further 34 places after a struggle to even make the cut on Friday.

Image: Jordan Spieth is six back after a fine round of 67

Spieth birdied the opening hole but then had a frustrating run of pars all the way to the 12th, where he picked up another birdie.

But, like Haas, he produced fireworks on the long 14th where he holed a putt from more than 50 feet for an eagle to give himself an outside chance of mounting a Sunday charge.

Outbrain