Xander Schauffele sits in second place and Collin Morikawa shares third with Keegan Bradley; Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Wyndham Clark in tied-fifth as Viktor Hovland closes on FedExCup victory; Watch the ultimate spherical reside on Sunday from 5pm on Sky Sports activities Golf
By Ali Stafford
Final Up to date: 27/08/23 1:34am
Viktor Hovland takes a six-shot lead into the ultimate spherical of the FedExCup finale
Viktor Hovland is closing in on back-to-back PGA Tour titles and FedExCup victory after taking a commanding six-shot lead heading into the ultimate spherical of the Tour Championship.
Final week’s BMW Championship winner shared prime spot with Collin Morikawa heading into the weekend of the season finale however pulled away from the sphere throughout a weather-disrupted third spherical at East Lake.
Hovland blended 5 birdies with a lone bogey throughout a powerful four-under 66 to maneuver to twenty below, leaving him comfortably forward of closest problem Xander Schauffele and in prime place to safe the $18million jackpot.
Viktor Hovland fired a final-round 61 to win the BMW Championship on Sunday
Schauffele posted a two-under 68 to take a seat in second forward of Morikawa and Keegan Bradley, who birdied two of his final 4 holes to salvage a level-par 70, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler amongst these within the group tied-fifth after struggling to a three-over 73.
Hovland takes management of the Tour Championship
After the ultimate pair opened with back-to-back pars, Hovland missed a 10-foot birdie have a look at the third and Morikawa didn’t convert from the same distance on the subsequent as neither was capable of seize the benefit.
Collin Morikawa was taking part in alongside Hovland within the remaining group on Saturday at East Lake
Morikawa carded his first dropped shot of the match when he hit a poor chip right into a bunker on his strategy to a double-bogey on the fifth, gifting Hovland a two-shot lead with a par, just for Schauffele to make three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the fourth to shut inside one.
Hovland ended a run of pars by posting back-to-back birdies from the sixth, which put him 4 clear when Schauffele bogeyed the eighth, with the Norwegian squandering a 10-foot look on the identical gap after a shocking restoration from the green bunker.
Xander Schauffele will play within the remaining group on Sunday
Schauffele began his again 9 with an eight-foot birdie however dropped a shot on the twelfth after a wayward tee shot left him punching out of the timber, with Hovland staying 4 forward when play was halted at 5.28pm native time (10.28pm BST) for 75 minutes as a result of menace of lightning.
Hovland made the dream begin when play resumed as he adopted a 10-foot birdie on the twelfth by changing from double the gap on the subsequent, which briefly noticed him transfer seven forward when Schauffele missed from 5 toes to save lots of par on the fifteenth.
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Schauffele responded by making a 12-foot birdie on the sixteenth, permitting him to shut inside 5 when Hovland bogeyed the 14th after an errant drive and poor strategy, just for the chief to bounce again himself by pouring in from 15 toes on the par-three subsequent.
Hovland squandered birdie seems from inside 10 toes on every of his final three holes however remained six forward and in management after Schauffele may solely par the final, with Bradley and Morikawa an additional stroke again heading into the ultimate day.
Viktor Hovland threatened to increase his lead additional over the closing holes
“I have to exit and attempt to put as a lot strain on him [Hovland] tomorrow on that entrance 9 as I can and hope for one of the best,” Schauffele mentioned. “He is simply taking part in unbelievable golf.”
US Open champion Wyndham Clark and Masters winner Jon Rahm share fifth spot on 11 below with FedExCup chief Scheffler, who carded his solely birdie of the day on the ultimate gap, with Rory McIlory an additional two strokes again in a share of eighth after a one-over 71 dropped him to 9 below.
Who will win Tour Championship? Watch the PGA Tour’s season finale and the race for the FedExCup reside on Sunday from 5pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour and extra for £26 a month for 12 months with NOW.