Tour Championship: Scottie Scheffler five from Collin Morikawa to the final day of the FedExCup season | Golf News

Scottie Scheffler moved another step closer to his first FedExCup victory after extending a five-shot lead heading into the final round of the Tour Championship.

The Masters champion heads into the weekend fourth at East Lake after rounds of 65 and 66 over the first two days, with the American recovering from a slow start into the third round to extend his lead over nearest challenger Collin Morikawa.

Scheffler saw his lead cut to two strokes after an early bogey but followed up his birdie from seventh place with four more in the final five holes, with a five-under 66 to lift him to 26 under and boost his hopes of a seventh. PGA Tour wins season.

He will be paired again on the final day with Morikawa, who birdied three of the last four to seal a third-round 67, while Sahith Theegala produced a five-birdie finish to jump into third place at 17 ahead of Xander Schauffele.

How Scheffler went on to FedExCup glory

Scheffler bogeyed the par-four first for the second time in three days, allowing Morikawa to close in three after holing from seven feet to save par, with the world No 1 having to scramble for par at the next after missing the green from the tee.

Morikawa briefly cut Scheffler’s lead in two when he made an eight-foot birdie on the par-five sixth, as his playing partner missed from par, only for Scheffler to regain his overnight cushion with a two-shot swing at the next.

Scheffler holed out from 15 feet for birdie while Morikawa holed a four-footer for par, with both players making close-range birdies on the next and pars on 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 on the par-five 14th to go five ahead while Morikawa three-putted from long range to settle for par.

Morikawa hit a close tee shot to set up a birdie on the next par-three, where Scheffler negotiated a difficult two-putt ahead of him rolling from 20 feet on the 16th to jump to 24 on.

Scheffler capitalized by lying near a tree on the tee at the par-four 17th to set up a 10-foot birdie, matched by Morikawa to widen the gap on the rest of the field, with both players going up and down the last to go in with matching birdies.

“It will be very difficult, but I believe 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 last few days. I just have to play the game. I have to get down. 18 holes left in the season – I’m going to put everything in the next 24 hours .

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Speaking of FedExCup hopes, Scheffler to Sky Sports: “I have a chance here to win some tournaments and I won’t have a better chance than tomorrow. I’ve had the best mentality of the year and I hope to do more than tomorrow.”

Schauffele’s push for FedExCup victory quickly unraveled with two bogeys in the first four holes, with two birdies over the rest of the round leaving him with a par-level 71 and 10 behind Scheffler.

The Open champion was beaten by playing partner Theegala – who called a two-shot penalty on himself in the round for putting the club in the bunker, as he made seven birdies in the final eight holes to jump into third place.

Wyndham Clark shares fifth place with Adam Scott at 15 ahead of Sam Burns, while Shane Lowry equaled the best round of the day and moved to eight places with a six at 65. Rory McIlroy is tied for 10th and at 11 at after a third round 68 .

Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the PGA Tour season-ending Tour Championship live on Sky Sports. Early coverage from East Lake continues on Sunday from 4pm on Sky Sports +, before full coverage from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and more with NOW.

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