Schauffele holds onto a 1-shot lead
CROMWELL, CONN. » Xander Schauffele shot a 3-under 67 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over good friend and playing partner Patrick Cantlay into the final round of the Travelers Championship.
Schauffele had a 17-under 193 total at TPC River Highlands. Cantlay shot 63.
Rookie Sahith Theegala was third at 14 under after a round of 64, and Kevin Kisner had a 66 to get to 13 under.
Schauffele began the day at 14 under with a fivestroke lead. The Olympic champion birdied the second hole for the third time this week and had another at No. 6, part of a careerbest run of 48 holes without a bogey.
But he put his tee shot at 13 in the water and briefly fell into a tie for the lead after a bogey. He broke his minor birdie drought at 16,
then hit the pin on his approach at 17 and sank another.
“I would love to have that tee ball back on 13,” he said. “For the most part I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to protect a lead, especially when it’s five shots and it’s easy to get comfortable.”
Cantlay’s bogey-free round was the best of the day.
Schauffele and Cantlay have been close friends since being paired together at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia and they combined to win the Zurich Classic this season.
“If only it was a combined score again this week we would be doing well,” Cantlay said jokingly. “It’s always nice to be out with him, if he’s on my team or if he’s not. I’m going to go out there tomorrow and try as hard as I can and let the chips fall where they may.”
Schauffele is looking for his sixth individual title and first since the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions. He also is shooting for his sixth straight top-20 finish. He and Cantlay finished tied for 14th last week in the U.S. Open.
KORN FERRY TOUR » Former Chico State standout Brandon Harkins shot an evenpar 71 in the third round and stands tied for eighth, seven shots off the lead at the Live and Work in Maine Open in Falmouth, Maine.
Another former Wildcat, Alistair Docherty, had a 73 in the third round and is tied for 62nd at 1 over.