Simpson’s special Father’s Day victory

DALLAS — Matt Every opened the rain-delayed third round at the AT&T Byron Nelson with an eagle, then had four birdies in a span of five holes to take the lead from Sung Kang before play was suspended because of darkness Saturday night with that lead group through nine holes. The start of play at Trinity Forest was delayed six hours because of heavy rain overnight and into the morning. Kang matched the course record with a 61 in the second round to take a four-stroke lead over Every into Saturday after the two also played together the first two rounds. Every had a 6-under 30 on the front nine Saturday to get to 18 under, a stroke ahead of Kang after he was 1 under for the day. Tyler Duncan, also in the final threesome, was 3 under and was third at 15 under. The final threesome will have 27 holes to play Sunday, when the third round will be finished before the fourth round. Only nine of 83 players finished the third round. Nicholas Lindheim was making a run at his own 61, or better, at 9 under for the day through 15 holes. At 12 under for tournament, he was in a tie for seventh after started the day 44th.

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GolfWRX.com: Do you make any bounce changes to your wedges to prepare for Augusta, in particular? JORDAN SPIETH: I don’t. I don’t change anything for Augusta. I don’t change anything regardless if I’m on soft sand, firm sand, if I’m on bentgrass, or really grainy Bermuda. I’ve learned to pitch on grainy Bermuda, meaning I drive the ball into the ground. I don’t use bounce, so I have very little on my 60-degree. Even out of a bunker, I try to enter the club really close to the ball so it doesn’t make a difference if it’s firm or soft to me. It’s a technique thing. If it’s off, it’s not the bounce of the wedge. GolfWRX.com: With your wedges, you would say you use the leading edge rather than the bounce? JORDAN SPIETH: I drive the ball into the ground. If I need loft, I get it down there and create the loft late into the ball, but I’m never hitting the ground first unless I have to. GolfWRX.com: So you haven’t made any true club changes in a while, except for changing into the SM9s this year? JORDAN SPIETH: I have the SM9’s, and then my 60-degree is a prototype that they make special. The only equipment changes I make are going to a driving iron versus a hybrid, depending on where I’m playing. I assume this year, as Augusta has gotten longer, it’s going to be a hybrid. I’ve played both at Augusta before, but the hybrid’s been better for me just because those par 5’s are sitting right at hybrid length into those greens. GolfWRX.com: I noticed a lot of you use a WedgeWorks proto for your 60-degree. What’s different about that wedge, and is that something you guys fit into at TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) in Oceanside, or where does that wedge come from? JORDAN SPIETH: I have done testing at Oceanside. That’s obviously an easy way to test a bunch of different grinds, looks and lofts, because they have so many out there and it’s a great facility. But we also have access to pretty much all of it week-to-week out here. To be honest, we’re very spoiled in that sense. I changed wedge grinds – I can’t even remember when it was, but it was years and years ago – to the T-grind. That was just because when I opened it up, it looked even cleaner and flush to the ground to me. We have access to Aaron Dill here on TOUR who’s our Vokey rep. He’s so good. He brought me an SM9 60-degree today, and I said, “It looks a little different than mine. Can you get me one of the other ones and I’ll compare and contrast?” He said, “I can weld this one down and make it look like your other one, and also make a backup of one you already have.” It’s normally no issue for us to find something we like. GolfWRX.com: That’s a little bit different than the access the rest of us have… Jordan Spieth: Well, we also wear ‘em out a lot faster. GolfWRX.com That’s because you actually practice! Thanks for the time, Jordan. Play well this week. This week, Jordan Spieth is defending the Valero Texas Open title that he won last year to end a winless drought that was nearing four years. The Valero Texas Open has a unique place in this season’s schedule, as it’s the final test before the Masters. Ahead of Spieth’s Valero title defense, we caught up with the 2015 Masters and FedExCup champ to pick his brain about equipment. Spieth discussed his replacements for a driver that recently cracked, any changes he makes for Augusta National and more. Read below for GolfWRX.com’s gear Q&A with Spieth. GolfWRX: You’ve obviously been making a lot of swing changes and are still working hard on your swing. I’m wondering if you’ve coupled that with any gear changes to adjust, such as lie angle, loft, shafts, etc.? JORDAN SPIETH: I haven’t. I cracked my driver at THE PLAYERS. I’m somebody (with) really low spin, and as drivers continue to be more and more low spin, I’ve messed around with a couple different loft changes and settings. I’m trying to get a (Titleist TSi3) driver head to produce like the one that I had for the last year, which was really, really solid. I’m looking to get enough spin without overspinning. So that’s been the challenge right now. But no, the rest of the bag has felt really good. Launch conditions have felt really nice. I just change wedges this time of year. Get some fresh ones in as we get into the spring, but nothing with any kind of launch or lies.

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LIBERTY CITY, N.J. – Tiger Woods has withdrawn from THE NORTHERN TRUST with an oblique strain but remains hopeful of keeping his FedExCup dreams alive. Woods suffered back stiffness during Wednesday’s Pro-Am and then struggled to a 4-over 75 in the opening round at Liberty National on Thursday. He was due to return for Friday’s second round in the afternoon, but pulled out before his tee time after failing to respond well enough to treatment. “Due to a mild oblique strain that led to pain and stiffness, I have to withdraw from THE NORTHERN TRUST. I went for treatment early Friday morning, but unfortunately I’m still unable to compete,� Woods said via a statement. “I’d like to thank the New Jersey and New York fans for their support and remain hopeful I can compete next week at the BMW Championship.� Woods started the FedExCup Playoffs in 28th place on the points list. He is now projected to drop outside the top 30 before next week’s event at Medinah Country Club. As such, if he is unable to compete in Chicago, his season would be over. The 81-time PGA TOUR winner famously won the TOUR Championship at East Lake a year ago before winning the Masters earlier this season. Thursday at Liberty National was just his 13th competitive round since the Masters win in April. “It just feels frustrating to shoot anything high no matter how I feel,� Woods said after Thursday’s round. “We had the perfect greens and had to go out there and shoot something under par and get it going. Had to be 4-, 5-, 6-under par today. I went the other way with it.�

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