Scottie Scheffler moved one other step nearer to a maiden FedExCup victory after extending his result in 5 pictures heading into the ultimate spherical of the Tour Championship.
The Masters champion went into the weekend 4 forward at East Lake after rounds of 65 and 66 over the primary two days, with the American recovering from a gradual begin to his third spherical to extend his benefit over closest challenger Collin Morikawa.
Scheffler noticed his lead lowered to 2 strokes after an early bogey however adopted back-to-back birdies from the seventh with 4 extra over his final 5 holes, with a five-under 66 lifting him to 26 below and rising his hopes of a seventh PGA Tour win of the season.
He might be paired once more on the ultimate day with Morikawa, who birdied three of his final 4 to salvage a third-round 67, whereas Sahith Theegala produced a five-birdie end to leap into third spot on 17 below forward of Xander Schauffele.
How Scheffler saved pushing in the direction of FedExCup glory
Scheffler bogeyed the par-four first for the second time in three days, permitting Morikawa to shut inside three after holing from seven-feet to save lots of par, with the world No 1 having to scramble a par on the subsequent after lacking the inexperienced off the tee.
Morikawa briefly reduce Scheffler’s result in two when he made an eight-foot birdie on the par-five sixth, as his enjoying companion missed from an identical distance, just for Scheffler to revive his in a single day cushion with a two-shot swing on the subsequent.
Scheffler rolled in from 15 ft for birdie as Morikawa squandered his four-footer for par, with each gamers making close-range birdies on the subsequent and saving pars on the ninth to maintain the hole at 4 strokes on the flip.
The ultimate pair exchanged pars for the early a part of the again 9, earlier than Scheffler drained a 20-foot birdie on the par-five 14th to go 5 forward when Morikawa three-putted from lengthy vary to settle with a par.
Morikawa fired his tee shot in near arrange a birdie on the par-three subsequent, the place Scheffler negotiated a tough two-putt forward of him rolling in from 20 ft on the sixteenth to leap to 24 below.
Scheffler capitalized on a beneficial lie close to a tree off the tee on the par-four seventeenth to arrange a 10-foot birdie, matched by Morikawa to increase their hole over the remainder of the sphere, with each gamers then getting up and down on the final to log out with matching birdies.
“It’s going to be very hard, but I believe in myself that I can do it,” Morikawa mentioned. “Five shots is a lot, but two-shot swings happen. I think I’ve seen a couple over the past few days. I’ve just got to play my game. I’ve got to go low. I’ve got 18 holes left to the season – I’m going to put everything I have into these next 24 hours.”
Talking about his FedExCup hopes, Scheffler informed Sky Sports activities: “I’ve had my chances here to win some tournaments and I’ll have no better opportunity than tomorrow. I’ve been mentally at my best this year and I’m looking forward to doing more of that tomorrow.”
Schauffele’s push for FedExCup victory shortly unravelled with two bogeys in his first 4 holes, with two birdies over the remainder of his spherical leaving him with a level-par 71 and 10 behind Scheffler.
The Open champion was upstaged by enjoying companion Theegala – who known as a two-shot penalty on himself earlier within the spherical for grounding the membership in a bunker, as he made seven birdies in his final eight holes to leap into third spot.
Wyndham Clark shares fifth spot with Adam Scott on 15 below forward of Sam Burns, whereas Shane Lowry equalled the bottom spherical of the day and moved to eighth spot with a six-under 65. Rory McIlroy is tied-Tenth and on 11 below after a third-round 68.
Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship reside on Sky Sports activities. Early protection from East Lake continues on Sunday from 4pm on Sky Sports activities+, forward of full protection from 5pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and extra with NOW.
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