PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida: Jordan Spieth made a 12-foot par putt on the 18th hole to complete a third-straight bogey-free round at The Players Championship on Saturday to take a share of the lead along with Martin Kaymer.

Spieth missed his last four fairways yet saved par each time for a 1-under 71. Not since Greg Norman won The Players in 1994 has anyone played the opening three rounds without a bogey.

Kaymer had a two-shot lead at the turn, but failed to take advantage of the par 5s on the back nine. He missed a par putt from just inside 10 feet on the 18th hole for an even-par 72.

They were at 12-under 204, three shots ahead of former Players winner Sergio Garcia (69) and John Senden (68).

The final twosome of Spieth and Kaymer were solid more than spectacular, combining for two bogeys, three birdies and 31 pars.

Spieth has shown no letdown since his runner-up finish at the Masters a month ago. The 20-year-old will have a chance to become the youngest winner of The Players, but will likely to be much better off the tee on Sunday than he was in the final hour of Saturday, when he needed some great rescue shots to pull out pars.

“I was all over the place,” Spieth said. “In order to win, I’m going to have to drive the ball better. Today I got the breaks, got the bounces, and made the 3- and 4-footers to stay alive. I’m not going to be able to keep doing that.”

Kaymer missed two birdie chances on the par 5s but a share of the lead was still a good position for the German, who is a former No. 1 but has gone winless for more than two years.

Sizing up Sunday, he figured it would be important to take advantage of the par 5s “and then stay cool and calm on 17 and 18th.”

“It’s very important that you enjoy the day,” Kaymer said. “It’s a rare opportunity that you’re in the leading group one of the biggest tournaments we play all year.”

At stake is a $1.8 million payoff, a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a three-year exemption to the Masters and British Open.

This course gets tougher on the weekend, though, especially on Sunday. And there were still plenty of players poised to either make a run or be waiting if either of the leaders slip up.

Garcia turned a birdie chance into a bogey on the 17th hole by missing a short putt, but did enough right in his round of 69 that he will have another chance to experience the thrills on the back nine of Sawgrass. Along with winning in 2008, he was tied for the lead going to the 17th hole last year until hitting three balls in the water the rest of the way as Tiger Woods went on to win.

Senden won at Innisbrook earlier in the year and played the par 5s in 5 under, including an eagle at No. 9.

Justin Rose was in the group at 7-under 209 until it was determined after his round that his ball moved slightly before he chipped it on the 18th. That turned his par into a double bogey and he wound up seven shots behind.