Tour rookie Riley rolls to 62, holds two-shot lead at Valspar Championship

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Davis Riley made three birdies from tough spots to close out the front nine and then kept right on rolling Saturday until he had a 9-under 62, a tournament scoring record and a two-shot lead in the Valspar Championship.

And just like that, a Masters invitation is in view for Riley, a 25-year-old PGA Tour rookie.

He played before the largest gallery at steamy Innisbrook, most of them there to watch the other Alabama alum in the pairing. Justin Thomas did his part with a third consecutive 66, which any other year would have set a tournament record.

Riley stole the show with a creative chip-and-run from out of the rough and under a tree, and with a 70-foot bunker shot that clanged into the cup on the fly at No. 9. Those were two of his nine birdies on the Copperhead course — he had only 20 putts for the round — that helped him turn a five-shot deficit into a two-shot lead.

“It's always fun when you get to play with a good buddy and Justin obviously is one of the best players in the world,” Riley said. “There was definitely a level of comfort there for that.”

Riley was at 18-under 195, breaking by four the tournament record last set a year ago by Sam Burns, who remains very much in the mix to win back-to-back.

Matthew NeSmith, who set the 36-hole record and led by four shots when he made the turn, made his first bogey of the week at No. 10 and dropped three more shots. He sprinkled in enough birdies and a solid par save on the 18th for a 69.

Riley and NeSmith will be in the final group Sunday.

Thomas and Burns (67) were three shots behind and have the experience of winning. Adam Hadwin, who won at Innisbrook five years ago for his only PGA Tour title, shot 70 and was five shots behind.

NeSmith had