Logjam at top of the leaderboard has fans yelling at TV sets
THE PGA Tour went three months without playing. It took three days to show fans what they were missing, even if they could only watch on TV.
Eight players had at least a share of the lead at some point on day three of the Charles Schwab Challenge. When the round at Colonial ended, 14 players were separated by only three shots.
And not just anybody. Xander Schauffele, among the growing roster of young stars, finished off his six-birdie round with a 4m putt on the last hole for a four-under 66.
The six players one shot behind included Jordan Spieth, whose short game helped him navigate some early trouble and nerves for a 68.
Also one shot behind were Justin Thomas (66) and US Open champion Gary Woodland, who made birdies on his last two holes for a 66.
Rory McIlroy (69) and Justin Rose (68) were among those three shots behind. Patrick Reed, who had to birdie three of his final six holes in the second round to make the cut, shot 63 and was three back.
All this with hardly any noise.
“I don’t have like a huge effect on the crowd, I’d say, so not having fans isn’t the craziest thing,” Schauffele said.
“It just does feel like I’m playing at home with some of my buddies. You make three birdies in a row, you can kind of give yourself a pat on the back.”
Matt Jones, the only Australian to make the cut, carded a 69 to drop to a share of 33rd at five-under.
This was not entirely a TV show. A few houses in the Colonial neighbourhood put up hospitality tents to see limited golf.
Fans gathered on the balcony of an apartment complex along the 14th, which also brought out the first “Get in the hole!” since the PGA Tour returned. Colonial is the first of five tournaments in the return to golf that does not allow spectators.
“When you get into contention and have a chance to win a golf tournament, that adrenaline starts pumping,” Woodland said. “It’s been a little different. The first two days there wasn’t too much adrenaline. There will be adrenaline going, which you have with fans or without fans.”