ATLANTA — Viktor Hovland delivered one other sterling efficiency, this time ranging from the highest, permitting him to tug away Saturday within the Tour Championship with a 4-under 66 that gave him a 6-shot lead going into the ultimate spherical of the PGA Tour season.
That leaves the Norwegian star 18 holes away from the $18 million bonus.
Hovland got here into East Lake contemporary off a 61 within the remaining spherical at Olympia Fields — 28 on the again 9 — to rally for a victory within the BMW Championship.
He was tied with Collin Morikawa to begin the sunbaked third spherical, with Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele all lined up behind him. Nobody may preserve tempo, particularly after a 90-minute stoppage due to storms within the space.
Hovland, who began at 8 below par because the No. 2 seed, was at 20 below.
Schauffele, who has by no means completed worse than seventh or shot worse than par in his seven years enjoying the Tour Championship, had a 68 and was at 14 below. All he may take into consideration was a pair of 4-foot putts he missed on the again 9 — for par at No. 15, for birdie on the closing gap — understanding how a lot floor he needed to make up.
“Not adequate,” Schauffele mentioned about his spherical.
Morikawa did not make a birdie till the sixteenth gap in his spherical of 73, leaving him 7 pictures behind with Keegan Bradley, who needed to birdie two of the final 4 holes for a 70.
Scheffler began making putts — just one for birdie — late in his spherical of 73, which tied him with Rahm (71), leaving each 9 pictures behind and out of rivalry for the FedEx Cup title.
Hovland nonetheless has one spherical left, and final 12 months was an instance that no lead is secure. Scheffler began the ultimate spherical with a 6-shot lead over Rory McIlroy, solely to shoot 73 as McIlroy rallied for a 66 to beat him by 1.
“I do know what I have to do,” Schauffele mentioned. “I have to exit and try to put as a lot strain on him tomorrow on that entrance 9 as I can, and hope for the very best.”
Hovland performed bogey-free on the entrance 9 as so many contenders have been slowed by errors.
Bradley had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch. Scheffler three-putted from 12 toes, lacking his par putt from 30 inches on the par-5 sixth. Rahm drove into the water on No. 8 for a double bogey and did not make his first birdie till the twelfth gap.
After which clouds began appearing on one other day of maximum warmth, resulting in the 90-minute delay. When gamers returned, Hovland made a 10-foot birdie putt on the twelfth and a 20-footer on the subsequent gap.
At one level he stretched his result in 7 pictures, and it regarded as if that is how he would finish the day till he missed a 7-foot birdie putt as darkness fell on East Lake.
Irrespective of. He’s poised to win the FedEx Cup, with its $18 million bonus ($17 million in money) and a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour. It additionally may be sufficient to no less than advantage consideration as PGA Tour Participant of the 12 months, having additionally gained the Memorial and a FedEx Cup playoff occasion.
U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark had just one bogey in his spherical of 68, which left him within the group with Scheffler and Rahm.
McIlroy, who began 6 pictures behind, had three bogeys on the entrance 9 and did not make a birdie over his final seven holes for a 71. He was 11 pictures again.
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