JOEL DAHMEN

TRUCKEE, Calif. — (AP) — Joel Dahmen scored 16 points with eight birdies in a bogey-free round Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Barracuda Championship, the only PGA Tour event that uses the modified Stableford scoring system. A point is subtracted for a bogey, and 3 points are taken away for a double bogey or worse. The winner will earn a spot in the PGA Championship next year but not the Masters because it is held opposite a World Golf Championship — the FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee. Dahmen won the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in March in the Dominican Republic for his first PGA Tour victory. “I slapped one in pretty good on 16 I didn’t deserve,” Dahmen said.

The Ocean Course played to a scoring average of 73.0, 2 1/2 shots easier than Friday's second round. Instead of moving, it felt like the major champions and world-class players chasing Mickelson were standing around watching him. Brooks Koepka's 69th shot of the day was a 7-foot putt for par that would have kept him tied with Mickelson. But this is a round where I'm walking up the 18th going, man, this could have been special today,” Spieth said. “If I were at 4 under and the lead was only 7, then things could be different,” Spieth said.

The leaderboard was mostly static in the third round of the PGA Championship, even though the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island played easier.

PGA Championship Golf Jordan Spieth reacts to his tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) (Chris Carlson)KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — (AP) — The Latest on the PGA Championship (all times local):1 p.m.Jordan Spieth is making a move early at the PGA Championship on Saturday. Jordan had nine bogeys over his first 36 holes and just squeezed in ahead of the cut line. Webb Simpson is at 4 under for his third round after making the 5-over cut on the number. The start of the third round at the PGA Championship has brought a slight reprieve in the relentless wind at Kiawah Island. ___More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Phil Mickelson didn't have any trouble focusing at Quail Hollow.

Dustin Johnson holds up the FedEx Cup trophy after winning the Tour Championship golf tournament on Monday, Sept. 7, 2020 at Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

For the PGA Tour player of the year, the candidates were Johnson, Thomas, PGA champion Collin Morikawa (two wins), Webb Simpson (two wins) and Jon Rahm (two wins). Johnson won the Travelers Championship and The Northern Trust to go along with his FedEx Cup title he won at the Tour Championship. He also was runner-up to Morikawa at the PGA Championship. More interesting will be the vote for PGA Tour rookie of the year. ... Country singer Colt Ford, who once played professionally, is making his PGA Tour Champions debut on a sponsor exemption.

Tyrrell Hatton of England had one of six rounds at 63 as he tries to win back-to-back starts for the second time in his year. Abraham Ancer rode his strong iron play to a 65, while Ryan Palmer had a 66 to join the lead at 15-under 198. A week ago at the Charles Schwab Challenge, 14 players were separated by three shots going into the final round. The six rounds at 63 marked the third time since October that at least six players shot 63 in a round. There were seven such rounds at the RSM Classic in November, about 80 miles down the Atlantic coast at Sea Island.