Spieth takes commanding 7-shot lead at Isleworth

Windermere, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Jordan Spieth continued his hot play on Saturday as he fired a 9-under 63 to push his lead to seven shots after three rounds of the Hero World Challenge.

Spieth, who won the Australian Open last week by six shots thanks to a final- round 63, finished 54 holes at 20-under-par 196.

The Texas native established a new 54-hole scoring record with his total of 196. Padraig Harrington set the old mark of 197 at Sherwood Country Club in 2002.

"That's the lowest score I've ever shot after three rounds," Spieth admitted. "It was great. I couldn't ask for a better start. From there, I was trying to stay patient, hit as many greens as possible and get some birdie putts, but tried not to be too aggressive."

Keegan Bradley, the 2012 runner-up, carded a 7-under 65 and he moved into a share of second place at minus-13. He was joined there by Henrik Stenson, who posted a 4-under 68 while playing alongside Spieth.

Patrick Reed shot a 3-under 69 and ended alone in fourth at 11-under-par 205. Justin Rose is one stroke back at minus-10 after a 2-under 70 at Isleworth Golf & Country Club.

Jason Day also posted a 70 and is alone in sixth at 8-under 208. Two-time winner Graeme McDowell (68), Matt Kuchar (70), Bubba Watson (72) and Rickie Fowler (72) are tied for seventh place at minus-7.

Tournament host Tiger Woods had his best round of the week despite being sick. Woods, who vomited on the course, mixed six birdies and three bogeys in his round of 3-under 69. That moved him to even-par 216, but he is still in last place in the 18-player field.

Woods birdied the first, then traded a bogey for a birdie from the sixth. He converted another birdie at the 12th, but stumbled to bogeys at 13 and 15 to slip back to plus-3. Woods closed his round with three straight birdies to end at even-par.

"It wasn't easy. I fought hard, it's about all I had," said a raspy-voiced Woods. "I wasn't doing too good in the beginning. I thought I could hang in there. If this fever just broke, I thought I'd be alright and it finally broke on the front nine."

Spieth finished his second round earlier in the day after a long weather delay on Friday pushed things back. He got up and down for par at the 18th to close out a 5-under 67.

"Really big (to get up and down). Really awkward to just come out and hit a chip shot. We showed up a few minutes before I was going back out there," Spieth explained. "I hit a couple chips and putts. I think it was the right decision and obviously it worked out."

The 21-year-old rolled in a 20-footer for birdie at the first. Spieth followed with birdies at two and three, both from inside seven feet, to move to 14- under.

Spieth got up and down for birdie on the par-5 seventh, and he was four clear of Bradley at that point.

Around the turn, Spieth hit the flag with his approach shot at the 10th and his ball stopped four feet from the hole. He rolled that in for birdie, then notched back-to-back kick-in birdies at 12 and 13.

Spieth's approach at the 14th stopped 12 feet from the hole and he drained that for his third straight birdie. After three pars in a row, Spieth poured in a long birdie effort at the 18th to set a new tournament scoring record.

Bradley birdied the first two holes, but gave a shot back when he bogeyed the third. He ran off four consecutive birdies from the seventh to jump to minus-11. Bradley moved to 13-under with birdies at 15 and 16.

"I've just been dialed in all week. I just played so good the first day and only shot even-par, so it's good to see some scores coming in," said Bradley, who switched to a standard length putter this week. "This is probably the best three days of putting I've had in a couple years."

Stenson played the front nine in even-par with a bogey on the third and a birdie on the ninth to go with seven pars. Around the turn, he birdied the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th to join Bradley in second place.

NOTES: Spieth's only PGA Tour win was at the 2013 John Deere Classic ... Defending champion Zach Johnson managed an even-par 72 and he slipped into 11th place at 6-under-par 210.