Spieth has PGA in his sights

HAVEN, WIS. – Jordan Spieth answers most golf questions in first-person plural.

He says he is merely including his caddie and entourage, but by Sunday night the pronoun may be considered the royal "We." Spieth has a chance to eclipse golf's monarchy.

Saturday, Spieth shot a 65 in the third round of the PGA Championship to move to 13 under par and into second place. Sunday, he will play in the final pairing at Whistling Straits with Jason Day, who leads at 15 under.

Without benefit of prodigious length or an intimidating stare, Spieth is trying to win his third major of the year at the age of 22. He has earned the arrogance he refuses to display.

"Just trying to get my name on the Wanamaker Trophy," Spieth said. "That's about it. That's the only history I'll be thinking of when we step on the first tee, is that you can hoist that trophy tomorrow, make it happen."

Spieth played the final eight holes in 6 under. He hasn't made a bogey in 33 holes. Sunday, Spieth, 22, could become the youngest player to win three majors since 1934, and the youngest player ever to win a Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship.

He would give America its first majors sweep since 1982. He would become the first player ever to win a single-season American slam, featuring the three majors played in the U.S. And if he shoots a 68 or better he will break Tiger Woods' record for furthest under par in one major season.

Woods was 53-under in the majors in 2000. Spieth is at 50-under with one round remaining.

A victory would also make Spieth the youngest ever to win three career majors; Jack Nicklaus did it at 23. And if Spieth finishes in the top two, he will likely pass Rory McIlroy and become the top-ranked player in the world.

"I realize we don't get to play another event like this until April of next year," Spieth said. "And that makes you think, wow, there really only are a few of these, and they are precious, and you need to make the most of them."

When he glimpsed scoreboards on the back nine, Spieth sometimes realized he was trailing by five or six shots. He struck the ball well all day. With a birdie putt on 11, he began to capitalize on his play.

Fairway. Green. Putt. Fist pump. Repeat.

"When that putt missed on 10, I was walking off to 11, I said, all right, it's now or never at that point," Spieth said. "I thought that if I could get to 10-under, if I could get three more, then I would still have a chance."

Instead, he got to 13 under with a flurry of birdies, including one on the difficult 18th.

Course designer Pete Dye likes to force players to hit their tee shots into the sun at the end of a weekend round, so Spieth didn't see his drive hit the fairway. He did see his approach nestle onto the front of the green, and his putt dive into the hole. He pumped his fist once, then again. Perhaps already thinking of Sunday, he neglected to remove his hat to shake hands and dropped his putter, looking more flustered by golf convention than by the demands of the world's most difficult game.

So many talented players wilt during majors. Greg Norman choked. Lee Westwood never made the big putt. Dustin Johnson has squandered the most athletic golf swing on the planet. Colin Montgomerie's game never acquired a passport. Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia … the list of golfers who haven't won majors, or who have blown them, could fill a parallel universe Hall of Fame.

Spieth craves the pressure. He says he wants to be the top-ranked player in the world. He expects to win all four majors. He's that annoying kid from science class who wanted to take more final exams.

"When I think of this being the last major of the year, it's a little bit of a sad feeling," he said. "Because I really thoroughly enjoy playing majors."

That, we know.

Jim Souhan's podcast can be heard at MalePatternPodcasts.com. On Twitter: @SouhanStrib. • jsouhan@startribune.com