Scottie Scheffler moved another step closer to a maiden FedExCup victory after extending his lead to five shots heading into the final round of the Tour Championship.
The Masters champion went into the weekend four ahead at East Lake after rounds of 65 and 66 over the first two days, with the American recovering from a slow start to his third round to increase his advantage over closest challenger Collin Morikawa.
Scheffler saw his lead reduced to two strokes after an early bogey but followed back-to-back birdies from the seventh with four more over his last five holes, with a five-under 66 lifting him to 26 under and increasing his hopes of a seventh PGA Tour win of the season.
Scheffler came into the Tour Championship as FedExCup leader for the third consecutive season
He will be paired again on the final day with Morikawa, who birdied three of his last four to salvage a third-round 67, while Sahith Theegala produced a five-birdie finish to jump into third spot on 17 under ahead of Xander Schauffele.
How Scheffler kept pushing towards FedExCup glory
Scheffler bogeyed the par-four first for the second time in three days, allowing Morikawa to close within three after holing from seven-feet to save par, with the world No 1 having to scramble a par at the next after missing the green off the tee.
Collin Morikawa will be paired with Scottie Scheffler for the third round running on the final day
Morikawa briefly cut Scheffler’s lead to two when he made an eight-foot birdie at the par-five sixth, as his playing partner missed from a similar distance, only for Scheffler to restore his overnight cushion with a two-shot swing at the next.
Scheffler rolled in from 15 feet for birdie as Morikawa squandered his four-footer for par, with both players making close-range birdies at the next and saving pars at the ninth to keep the gap at four strokes at the turn.
The final pair exchanged pars for the early part of the back nine, before Scheffler drained a 20-foot birdie at the par-five 14th to go five ahead when Morikawa three-putted from long range to settle with a par.
Morikawa fired his tee shot in close to set up a birdie at the par-three next, where Scheffler negotiated a tricky two-putt ahead of him rolling in from 20 feet at the 16th to jump to 24 under.
Scheffler capitalized on a favourable lie near a tree off the tee at the par-four 17th to set up a 10-foot birdie, matched by Morikawa to extend their gap over the rest of the field, with both players then getting up and down at the last to sign off with matching birdies.
“It’s going to be very hard, but I believe in myself that I can do it,” Morikawa said. “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.”
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Robert MacIntyre damaged the hole after almost making a magnificent hole-in-one at the 15th of the Tour Championship
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Speaking about his FedExCup hopes, Scheffler told Sky Sports: “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 quickly unravelled with two bogeys in his first four holes, with two birdies over the rest of his round leaving him with a level-par 71 and 10 behind Scheffler.
The Open champion was upstaged by playing partner Theegala – who called a two-shot penalty on himself earlier in the round for grounding the club in a bunker, as he made seven birdies in his last eight holes to jump into third spot.
Wyndham Clark shares fifth spot with Adam Scott on 15 under ahead of Sam Burns, while Shane Lowry equalled the lowest round of the day and moved to eighth spot with a six-under 65. Rory McIlroy is tied-10th and on 11 under after a third-round 68.
Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship live on Sky Sports. Early coverage from East Lake continues on Sunday from 4pm on Sky Sports+, ahead of full coverage from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and more with NOW.
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