Scheffler takes a share of the BMW lead

Scottie Scheffler was feeling good enough with his short game that he was willing to take on a long shot with high risk. Just like everything else Saturday, it worked out just fine for him in the BMW Championship.

In wind that gusted through tree-lined Olympia Fields, Scheffler hit a driver off the fairway on the par-5 15th hole that traveled 299 yards — a lot of it on the ground — to just short of the green to set up his seventh and final birdie in a round of 6-under 64.

It gave him a share of the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick, who played a clean round until having to salvage bogey on the final hole for a 66.

“I haven't hit driver off the deck as much with this driver as I have drivers in the past,” Scheffler said. “The shot is really shaped well for that kind of play . ... I tried it the first day because I thought it would be fun, and I hit a pretty good shot. And then I did it again today because it was fun.”

Equally fun was seeing so many putts go in, no matter the distance. Scheffler made two short birdie putts at the start and oneputted the opening five holes. He wasn't hitting it his best, and his bunker play in particular — along with making the putts — made all the difference.

Scheffler and Fitzpatrick were at 11-under 199, one shot clear of British Open champion Brian Harman, who had to settle for a 67.

Second-round leader Max Homa (71) was third, two shots back, and Rory McIlroy (67) and Viktor Hovland (65) were three behind.

The top 10 players — all but two have won on the PGA Tour this year — are separated by four shots going into the final round.

But that's not the only way to keep score in the final round.

At stake for more than a halfdozen players is making sure they finish in the top 30 in the FedEx

Cup to advance to the Tour Championship next week at East Lake. Among those on the bubble is Jordan Spieth.

At stake for a few Americans is trying to earn one of six automatic spots in the Ryder Cup, with the BMW Championship as the final qualifying event. Strong finishes by the likes of Homa and Xander Schauffele could knock out PGA champion and LIV Golf player Brooks Koepka.

Homa experienced the potential for disruption with betting at PGA Tour events when he said a fan yelled in the middle of his 5-foot birdie putt.

Homa already was struggling with short putts on a windy day at Olympia Fields, having missed a 2-foot putt on the seventh hole and a 5-footer at No. 12.

What bothered him was what he described as a drunk fan on the 17th hole, right after Chris Kirk had left his 18-foot birdie putt about 1 foot short. Homa holed his 5-footer, then shouted and pointed at the man as he walked off the green.

“There was probably drunk — I hope, for his case, or else he's just the biggest loser there is — but he was cheering and yelling at Chris for missing his putt short,” Homa said. “And he kept yelling — one of them had $3 for me to make mine — and I got to the back of my back stroke and he yelled, `Pull it!' pretty loud.

“I made it right in the middle, and then I just started yelling at him.”

PGA Tour Champions

Tim Petrovic shot a 4-under 66 to maintain the lead a the Shaw Charity Classic in his bid for his first career Champions title.

Ten times a runner-up and making his 144th start on the Champions tour, Petrovic is 0 for 2 when attempting to convert a second-round lead into victory.

Ken Duke carded a 64 to pull within two shots of the lead. Duke is also in search of his first win and third consecutive top-10 finish.

Billy Andrade (64), Scott Dunlap (62) and Robert Karlsson (65) are tied for third, four shots back.

LPGA, European tours

Seeking their first top-tier professional titles, English golfers Daniel Brown and Gabriella Cowley will take leads into the final round of the ISPS Handa World Invitational, which is co-sanctioned by the European tour and LPGA Tour.

Brown started the third round with a six-shot lead and maintained that advantage after making birdie on two of his last three holes for a 3-under 67. His nearest challengers are Alex Fitzpatrick (67) and Wilco Nienaber (63), with Adrian Otageui (66) a stroke further back.

Cowley shot 5-under 67 and was on 6 under overall, one stroke clear of Ryann O'Toole (68) and Esther Henseleit (69).

Marissa Steen, who led after round three, dropped into a tie for 11th and six shots off the lead after shooting 75.