Miami, March 12

Jordan Spieth holed out three times from off the green to banish any thoughts of missing the cut in the second round at the Valspar Championship in Florida on Friday.

The defending champion bounced back with a three-under 68 on the Copperhead Course at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor. Spieth ended the day equal 43rd, seven strokes behind halfway leaders Steve Stricker (66) and Will MacKenzie (67).

World No 1 Spieth made a poor start to his second round, running up a bogey six at the opening hole after yanking his drive into an unplayable lie.

But it was nearly all positive after that as he compiled five birdies to go with just one more bogey, twice chipping in and once using his putter to hole out from the fringe.

Atop the leaderboard, meanwhile, were part-time player Stricker and the quotable MacKenzie set the halfway pace at five-under 137, one stroke ahead of fellow American Daniel Berger and Canadian Graham DeLaet.