Pebble Beach witnessed Jordan Spieth's signature rollercoaster, a dazzling display of putting magic and precarious ball-striking, ultimately delivering another thrilling, yet familiar, performance.
The Jordan Spieth rollercoaster is not for the weak or timid, and it was on full display Saturday during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Spieth entered the day 10 under par, five shots back of leaders, Ryo Hisatsune and Akshay Bhatia. A taste of contention for the first time in a while for the former Longhorn.
His opening tee shot was a sign of things to come. Fore right with just an iron. From there, he would fly the first green with a wedge, flop one to about five feet, and sink it for a Spieth-like par.
And that was just the warmup.
After a solid wedge on the par-five second hole, he holed a 10-footer for birdie, opening the floodgates. Wide open.
He proceeded to play the next five holes on the famous Pebble Beach front nine in four under, making four birdies, including one on the picture-esque short par three seventh hole after he put his approach shot to four feet.
There was just one issue. Spieth's performance through 43 holes was smoke and mirrors.
The former Longhorn was putting the absolute lights out, leading the field in strokes gained putting, masking his poor ball-striking efforts.
But with Spieth entering the toughest stretch on the golf course, and the wind starting to pick up, his sorcery would start to fade.
He falter began with bogeys on holes eight and nine after bad iron shots put him in tough positions to save par. The drop would continue on the par-three 12th hole, where Spieth three-putted from 40 feet, his first of the week.
Through 13 holes, it was a classic post 2017 Spieth round. He gets your hopes up, showing signs of life, but then harsh reality hits.
After he played his next three holes in one under, the Dallas native gave golf fans one last thrill. With the wind roaring off his left shoulder, Spieth smothered his drive left, finding the beach neighboring the iconic 18th hole.
Of course, the ball somehow found an area where he could play the ball, creating another all-time moment for the three-time major champion.
When it was all said and done, Spieth made par and signed for a round of three under 69, leaving him at 13 under par, six shots back of Bhatia heading into what should be a wild Sunday on the coast.
It was another round that could've been for Spieth, but at least the flashes of magic are there, giving fans slim hope that maybe one day his 2015-17 form will return.
And what better place to see that magic unfold on a property many call "the greatest meeting of land and sea."