Some of the early starters got a jump on things Saturday at the 2025 Valspar Championship.
Take the duo of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. They were the 12th of the 39 twosomes to tee off in the third round. Spieth shot 3-under 67 to climb inside the top 20. Thomas shot 6-under 65, the best round of the week so far, to move inside the top 10.
“A lot is kind of up to what everybody else does,” Thomas said after posting a number well before the leaders teed off. “Hopefully they stay within striking distance. Yeah, regardless, I had a great day today, whether I’m one back, three back, six back, whatever it is, like I’m excited to go out and just try to make as many birdies as I can tomorrow and see where it puts us.”
A few hours later, Nico Echavarria carded 6-under 66 to tie for the lead at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Florida. Sitting at 7 under, he was then able to kick back, get a late lunch, watch some college hoops and monitor his position on the leaderboard.
An Arkansas Razorback by way of Colombia, Echavarria showed he’s one of us after filling out a March Madness bracket. But how far does he have the John Calipari-led Arkansas squad advancing?
“I do a bracket and I have them losing against St. John’s but I did have them beating Kansas,” he said after his round.” Arkansas, by the way, defeated St. John’s, so the Hogs are moving on to the Sweet 16. Echavarria, meanwhile, is moving on to the final round, where he will be in the final group Sunday.
A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, Echavarria said he can lean on that experience and success Sunday.
“I’ve been in this position before,” he said. “We’ll see how many back of the lead I’m going to be, but this is a golf course where you don’t have to be one off the lead starting to get the leaders. We have seen that it’s a hard golf course, you have to drive your ball very well out here. You have to hit the greens. It’s tough around the greens. So we’re going to have a chance tomorrow having a good round.”
As it turned out, Thomas is only two back of the lead after 54 holes.
There are three golfers – Viktor Hovland, Jacob Bridgeman and Echavarria – tied at 7 under. Ricky Castillo, seeking his first PGA Tour win in just his 10th start, is solo fourth at 6 under. Then it’s a seven-way tie for fifth, a group that includes Thomas and Shane Lowry.
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