Fantastic finish teed up at Players
Schauffele rallies for one-shot lead, Canadians fade
Xander Schauffele erased a fourshot deficit Saturday with another bogey-free round on a course where trouble lies around every corner, capping a 7-under 65 with a superb chip to save par and take a one-shot lead into the final round of The Players Championship.
U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who had a four-shot lead at the start and stretched it to five with a birdie on the opening hole, did well to make sure the deficit wasn’t greater.
They were tied going to the island green on the par-3 17th. Clark hit it so clunky that his wedge shot came up some 15 yards short of land. But he hit the next one to seven feet and escaped with bogey, and then saved par on the 18th for a 70.
“It’s unfortunate on a hole that’s so iconic, and has a bunch of trouble, to have kind of your worst swing of the day,” Clark said. “But yeah, I followed it with a great swing and a great putt. I’m in the final group tomorrow, which is huge.
“I’m hoping that’s a huge point in the tournament and we look back after tomorrow and look at that hole and say, ‘Hey, that was maybe the shot and the putt that meant it all.’ ”
For a short time on a balmy afternoon, it looked like The Players would turn into a two-man race between Clark and Schauffele. But there were enough birdies, bold shots and big rallies to fill Sunday with possibilities. Schauffele was at 17-under 199.
Corey Conners was the top Canadian at 7 under and tied for 24th. Nick Taylor, who started the day four shots off the lead, slipped to 6 under.
British Open champion Brian Harman was slowed briefly by a bogey on the par-5 ninth that required a right-handed shot, but the lefty birdied four of his next five holes and finished with a 64. He was two shots behind.
Maverick McNealy and 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick shot 68 and were four shots behind.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world coping with neck pain, kept alive his chances of becoming the first back-to-back winner in 50 years at the PGA Tour’s premier championship. He birdied his last three holes for his 26th straight round under par, a 68 that left him in range at five shots behind.