Viktor Hovland is in command at the Tour Championship.
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After a 3rd round the place it appeared most gamers have been backing up as a substitute of transferring ahead, the world’s hottest golfer didn’t stutter.
Viktor Hovland fired a third-round 66 to open up a six-shot lead over Xander Schauffele heading into the final round of the Tour Championship, with the $18 million FedEx Cup first-place prize at stake.
However, as we noticed final yr, with that form of cash at stake, not even a six-shot lead is protected at East Lake. But after choosing up his second win of the season final week, Hovland seems unshakable.
With the final round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs upon us, listed below are three storylines to watch throughout the final round of the Tour Championship.
Viktor winner once more?
Last week’s BMW Champion used his second win of the season to spring up to the second-best beginning rating this week.
From there, Hovland was tied for the 18- and 36-hole leads earlier than making 5 birdies towards one bogey Saturday to draw back from the subject.
On the heels of a season the place he had two top-10s in majors, a T3 at the Players and two wins in the PGA Tour’s signature occasions, Hovland seems like he’s taken his recreation to a brand new degree.
“I don’t think I’ve ever played this well before, with this stretch, just putting all the short game and stuff together,” he stated Saturday night time. “I’ve certainly hit the ball this good before. I feel like I’ve hit the ball better than I have this week and even last week, but it’s just about putting it all together.”
That was obvious Saturday when he made only one mistake in an in any other case regular round. Not even a 75-minute rain delay might sluggish him down.
Should he win Sunday, the 25-year-old would accumulate his sixth PGA Tour win, doubling his profession whole getting into the yr.
Xander Schauffele: East Lake killer
It ought to shock completely nobody that Xander Schauffele is in rivalry as soon as once more.
Since Schauffele’s rookie season in 2017 (when he gained the playoff finale), he hasn’t completed exterior the high 7. In that point interval, he’s posted a scoring common of 67.15.
On a day when Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy all shot over par, Schauffele appeared to be the solely participant aside from Hovland transferring ahead on the leaderboard.
He stumbled a bit in the center of the again 9 and begins the final round a distant six photographs behind, but when there’s anybody Hovland ought to worry on this golf course, it’s Schauffele.
“I know what I need to do. I need to go out and try and put as much pressure on him tomorrow on that front nine as I can and hope for the best,” Schauffele stated.
Rahm and Scheffler going the incorrect manner
Scottie Scheffler was struggling. A significant winner’s stylish gesture adopted
Nick Piastowski
Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler, the Tour’s two finest gamers throughout the common season, choosing up a mixed six wins, a Masters, a Players Championship and a mixed $37,536,950 in winnings, went the incorrect manner Saturday.
Scheffler posted a 73, the identical rating he mustered in the final round a yr in the past, whereas Rahm shot 71 to each fall to 11 beneath and 9 behind Hovland.
Unless Rahm is in a position to mount a herculean comeback on Sunday, he’d proceed a drought going again to 2015 of the No. 1 participant throughout the FedEx Cup common season failing to win the general title.
Scheffler failing to win would mark the third time in the 5 years since the Tour Championship switched to a staggered begin format that the participant beginning at 10 beneath didn’t win the FedEx Cup both.
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