World No. 1 and defending champ Jordan Spieth handed organisers a huge sigh of relief in making the halfway cut in the Valspar Championship in Florida.
Spieth improved eight shots on Thursday’s shock 76 in posting a four under par 68 for a two over par tally on the Copperhead course at Palm Harbor.
It sent Spieth from a share of 117th place at the start of the day to be T45th with two rounds to complete in the $US 6.1m event.
Spieth began his round at five over par but soon slumped to six over after a wild drive left at the first..
Jordan Spieth adds much needed varnish to weekend rounds of the Valspar Championship
However, the Texan regrouped with four birdies, and just one other bogey, in his outward nine and then further steadied the first of five title defences this season with five pars before holing a monster 35-foot birdie at the par three, 15th to get back to two over par and then pa his last three.
Spieth has struggled since winning the first event of 2016 in Hawaii by eight shots but remains upbeat despite heading to the weekend rounds of the £4.25m Valspar six shots behind the leading duo of fellow Americans Steve Stricker (66) and Will MacKenzie (67) who lead at five under par.
He said: “Today was all about making the cut but to be six over after the first 20 holes and to be now still in this tournament is huge.
“So I am now very positive going forward to the weekend but then I really wanted to hole that birdie on 18.
“It’s just the basics that have been off with my feet and body shifting to the right, and that’s what happens to me when it gets windy as my shoulders stay open and there is nowhere for the club to go.”
