Closing birdie gives Schenk upper hand
LAS VEGAS: American Adam Schenk, chasing his first US PGA Tour victory, birdied three of the last four holes to seize a one-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the Shriners Children’s Open.
World No.207 Schenk, never better than fourth in 118 career PGA events, sank a birdie from just inside eight feet at the par-4 18th to fire a five-under par 66.
“It was nice to finish off with a birdie,” Schenk said. “Great day. I couldn’t have shot many shots lower.”
That left him on 18-under 195 for 54 holes at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, good enough for a one-stroke lead over countryman Matthew Wolff, last year’s US Open runner-up.
Sam Burns, Chad Ramey and Andrew Putnam shared third on 197.
Schenk answered a bogey at the par-3 fifth with three birdies in a row to close the front nine, then rolled in birdies from three feet at 15 and 17 feet at 16 to share the lead, setting the stage for his clutch final swing.
“I’m definitely going to have to drive it a lot straighter on the final day,” Schenk said.
Wolff, 22, won his only PGA title at the 2019 3M Open but liked his chances in a Sunday shoot-out.
“I’m not getting flustered, not getting ahead of myself,” he said. “I know if I keep working I’ll be fine.”
Wolff tapped in for birdie at the ninth after missing a 15-foot eagle putt, then caught fire on the back nine.
He birdied from eight feet at the 11th, tapped-in for birdie at the par-5 13th, drove the green at the par-4 15th and sank a four-foot birdie putt, then eagled the par-5 16th from just inside seven feet.
At the par-5 18th, Wolff was inches off on an eagle chip and tapped in for birdie and a 65.