KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) - The view from the top looks as spectacular as ever for Jordan Spieth. Spieth won the first two majors of the 2015 season, finished fourth in the British Open and second in the PGA Championship.
With natural dialogue about an encore, he made good on his reply that an encore means the show is over. The group of five smiles for the camera as they sit on the airplane after Spieth's successful moment. An 8-foot birdie on the final hole put him at 30-under 262, one short of the record Ernie Els set at Kapalua in 2003. He had a four-shot lead at the Masters and won by that same margin.
Lee was five over through four holes including carding a triple bogey, but came back with five birdies and an eagle - eventually settling for a one-under round. The next time he saw a leaderboard, Spieth was five shots in front and the gap only got bigger from there.
Spieth began the final round six clear of Patrick Reed but his advantage was pegged back to three when Reed birdied the 9th hole.
"When Tiger is in contention, why is his record so phenomenal?"
"But that's just the level of golf that's been played". "But everyone else knew that he could do it and maybe tried to do a bit too much".
Should he lift the trophy Sunday it would be 22-year-old's seventh victory on the PGA Tour, matching the number achieved by Woods before turning 23. I know what he did and I just find it hard to believe that it can be matched.
That could be one of the perks Sunday.
For his part, Spieth is wise to play down the similarities, although he understands the rush to make the comparison and after "surprising myself" by getting to 30-under is determined to continue creating these shockwaves.
Spieth is uncomfortable with comparisons with Woods, though he bought into one philosophy going into the final round.
He sank testing par-savers on the 16th and 17th holes and then finished his round in style, coaxing in a 13-foot birdie at the par-five 18th where his ball teetered on the edge of the cup before dropping in. The problem for him is what Woods did in the years just after he turned 23.
It's his seventh win on the PGA TOUR before the age of 25, joining only Tiger Woods as the other golfer to do so. The last player to win a PGA Tour event without a bogey is Lee Trevino in 1974 at the Zurich Classic, and the last player to complete a tournament without a bogey is Charles Howell III when he tied for ninth in the Greenbrier Classic in 2010.
Countryman and defending champion Patrick Reed remains in contention, lurking six shots back in third following a third-round 67.
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