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World number one Scottie Scheffler remains on course to cap his remarkable season with the $25 million FedEx Cup title heading into the final round of the season-ending Tour Championship on Sunday with a five-shot lead.
Fellow American Collin Morikawa failed to close the gap on Scheffler in Saturday’s third round, shooting a 4-under 67 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, while Scheffler shot a 5-under 66.
Masters champion and Olympic gold medalist Scheffler began the week 10 under par under the tiered scoring system used for the season finale that determines the winner of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The system is designed to provide an advantage to the leader of the Cup standings while leaving an opportunity for challengers if the leader makes a mistake in the final of the three elimination tournaments.
But Scheffler, who is seeking his seventh PGA Tour victory this season, showed no signs of opening the door. Morikawa, who began the week six shots behind the favorite, managed to close the gap to just one shot over three rounds.
Scheffler offered a glimmer of hope when he bogeyed the par-4 first hole, where, after driving into the rough to the right, he missed a 12-foot putt for par.
But that was the only blemish on the 28-year-old’s scorecard and his finish – with birdies on four of the last five holes, including the last three – sent a clear signal of his intent for Sunday.
“I just keep doing what I do, staying in the moment, staying patient. I bogeyed the first hole twice in the last three days and both times I didn’t bogey after that. So that’s good momentum for me,” Scheffler said.
“I feel like I did a lot of things well and played solidly, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of finishing the tournament tomorrow,” he said.
Morikawa had to wait until the par-5 sixth hole to make his first birdie, but he cancelled it out with a bogey on the next hole.
But he also finished strong with three birdies from the 15th, including 17 and 18.
“Solid. It’s not exactly the moving day I needed, but I knew this whole week I was going to need something special to come out on top and I was going to need something very special,” Morikawa said.
“It will be very tough, but I believe in myself and I can do it. Five hits is a lot, but two-hits happen. I think I’ve seen a few of them in the last few days,” he added.
“I have to play low. I know that. I hope I can do it today. I have 18 holes left to play. I keep talking about it, but I’m going to give it my all in the next 24 hours,” he added.
Sahith Theegala is in third place but nine shots behind Scheffler and his efforts were not helped by a two-shot penalty on the par-4 third.
The American himself called the rules referee after seeing the sand move before his shot from a fairway bunker.
“I felt like I moved a few grains of sand, for sure. In my field of vision, I thought I saw some of the sand moving as I was doing my backswing,” said Theegala, who did not feel he got any benefit from the sand movement, which he described as “insignificant.”
“But unfortunately the rule is that intent doesn’t matter. If you change the lie in the direct area around the ball, which could affect your swing, it’s a two-stroke penalty,” he added.
Theegala, however, recovered from the setback in style as he finished his round with five consecutive birdies.
Xander Schauffele, winner of the British Open and PGA Championship this season, is in fourth place, ten shots behind Scheffler after his par 71, while Wyndham Clark and Australian Adam Scott are 11 shots behind the leader.
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