Cantlay takes 2-shot lead into Tour Championship finale

Patrick Cantlay picked up his last birdie when he was least expecting it Saturday in the Tour Championship, and it felt like it was worth more than just one extra shot.

Clinging to a one-shot lead over Jon Rahm, he went from the right rough to the first of two bunkers fronting the 18th green with the pin tucked behind the second one. Cantlay safely blasted out to 25 feet and made it for a 3-under 67 to lead by two.

“I thought it was big for momentum,” Cantlay said. “It was a nice putt to make, especially being out of position on that hole. And I'll take that momentum into tomorrow.”

It set the stage for a sprint to the FedEx Cup and its $15 million prize, with ramifications that could go even further. Still to be determined after the cash is doled out is PGA Tour player of the year, and Cantlay could be a big part of that conversation with a victory.

For now, he was at 20-under par with a two-shot lead over Rahm (68), and Cantlay knows he will have his hands full with a demanding East Lake course and the No. 1 player in the world, who hates losing as much as him.

The money is a nice talking point for Cantlay and Rahm, and even Justin Thomas, who had a 66 and is still very much in the range of making sure this isn't a two-man race.

“I don't play the game to make money,” Cantlay said. “I play the game because I want to win golf tournaments and I love doing that. And I'm in a great spot to do that tomorrow.”

So is Rahm, the U.S. Open champion who was denied what seemed to be a certain victory at the Memorial in early June when he had a six-shot lead and then had to withdraw with a positive COVID-19 test.

He was four shots behind with eight holes to play, made only one birdie and still made up ground when Cantlay — who had gone 46 holes with just one bogey — made three bogeys and missed a pair of birdie chances during the back nine before ending with his big birdie.

“It was one of those days where there was a lot of in-between numbers,” Rahm said. “There was a lot of three-quarters and finessing around, and certain holes I just played a little bit more conservative, and didn't give myself the best chances to make putts.”

STEELER VOICE, PLAYER DIES

Tunch Ilkin, a Turkish-born, two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman with the Pittsburgh Steelers who went on to become a beloved member of the organization's broadcast team, has died. He was 63.

The Steelers confirmed Ilkin's passing on Saturday. Ilkin, who revealed last fall he was fighting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), was hospitalized recently with pneumonia.

Ilkin announced in July that he was stepping away from his radio analyst duties to focus on his treatment.

The popular Ilkin was a fixture on the Steelers' offensive line after being taken in the sixth round of the 1980 draft. He played 13 of his 14 seasons in the NFL in Pittsburgh, making the Pro Bowl in 1988 and 1989 as an athletic right tackle under Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll. He appeared in 176 games for the Steelers, making 143 starts.

He played one game for the Green Bay Packers in 1993 before retiring and moving into broadcasting. Ilkin spent 23 seasons in all as part of Pittsburgh's radio team and became well-known throughout southwestern Pennsylvania for his charitable efforts for a variety of causes.