Scheffler, Lowry lead Bay Hill
Scottie Scheffler was losing ground and losing his mind Saturday at Bay Hill, and he wasn’t alone at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
This was a day to stay patient, because of the severe conditions of firm greens and wind gusts in Orlando, Fla., and because Will Zalatoris threatened to pull away when he built a fiveshot lead. Scheffler was six shots back after 11 holes.
When the third round ended, Scheffler found himself tied for the lead with Shane Lowry, saved by his putter of all things, and lots of help from Zalatoris.
Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, one-putted his final seven greens, four for birdie, for a 2-under 70. His run began with a short birdie putt on the par-3 12th, followed by a 10footer for birdie, just inside 15 feet for par, 15 feet for birdie, and three simple ones to close.
“You can make some mistakes,” said Scheffler, whose four bogeys were his most in a PGA Tour round since Saturday at the Tour Championship last August. “It’s all about how you bounce back from them.”
Lowry also bounced back with two late birdies for a 70.
Rory McIlroy, who didn’t make a birdie until he became the first player to drive the green on par-4 10th, then ran off five more for a 68. He was four back.
Scheffler and Lowry were at 9-under 207, one shot ahead of US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who had two double bogeys and still was tied for the lead until a bogey on the 18th.
They all owe a small debt of gratitude to Zalatoris, who made two double bogeys over the final five holes.
Zalatoris reached 5 under with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 11th. He was five shots clear of the field, with Scheffler six back.
But Zalatoris ended 42 straight holes without a bogey by failing to save par from a bunker on the 14th. That was the start.
His drive on the 15th went into a bunker, leaving a sketchy lie and blocked by trees. He went into the rough, hit to 35 feet, and three-putted for double bogey. A double bogey on the last hole left Zalatoris (71) two shots back. LPGA — Lydia Ko and Bailey Tardy each shot 6-under 66 and joined Sarah Schmelzel (69) at the top of the leaderboard after the third round of the Blue Bay LPGA in Sanya, on China’s southern island of Hainan.
Ruixin Liu was two shots behind after a 69. Savannah Grewal shot a 64 — the best round of the day — and was three strokes back along with Minjee Lee (70). LIV — First-round co-leader Abraham Ancer birdied five of his final eight holes for an 8-under 62 and a five-shot lead over Harold Varner III (66) and Eugenio Chacarra (66) after two rounds of the tour’s inaugural Hong Kong event.