CANTLAY MOVES PAST BUDDY XANDER TO TAKE BMW LEAD

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele went from being teammates to close friends and now seem to be inseparable on the PGA Tour, so the final round of the BMW Championship might have the feel of one of their countless practice rounds. Except for the stakes. Cantlay holed out from 106 yards in the fairway on the par-5 14th and had a 6under 65 despite twice missing 3-foot par putts. That gave him a one-shot lead over Schauffele and Scott Stallings going into today in the second Fedex Cup playoff event.

Schauffele had an eagle early in the round with an approach to 5 feet on the par-5 third hole and he played bogey-free for a 67.

Today will be the sixth time in eight Fedex Cup playoff events they have played together, and it will be the second time this year they have played in the final group. Schauffele led by one at the Travelers Championship and shot 68 to win. Cantlay had a 76.

They also won the Zurich Classic as partners.

The typical practice round is match play of some variety, winner-take-all. This one could determine who goes to the Tour Championship as the No. 1 seed and starts the chase for he Fedex Cup with a two-shot advantage.

That depends on Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who joined Adam Scott two shots behind.

Will Zalatoris, who was coming off his first victory last week that moved him to the top of the Fedex standings, withdrew after four holes because of back pain.

Cantlay, who was 12under 201, is trying to become the first back-to-back winner of the BMW Championship since it became part of the Fedex Cup playoffs in 2007.

He knows from experience the value of being a top seed at the Tour Championship. After his playoff win in the BMW Championship last year at Caves Valley, he had a two-shot lead at the start of the Fedex Cup finale and wound up winning by one shot to claim the $18 million prize.

“My head is not even there right now,” Cantlay said. “I think the best way to handle this playoff system is to just focus on doing your best in the tournament that you’re in and not worry too much about the points. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

Elsewhere

Texas A&M senior Sam Bennett defeated Pepperdine’s Dylan Menante, who prepped at Sage Creek, 1 up to reach the U.S. Amateur final at Ridgewood in Paramus, N.J. He will face Georgia Southern senior Ben Carr, who defeated Derek Hitchner 3 and 2.

American Nelly Korda shot a 5-under 67 Saturday in Spain to make up seven strokes on her sister Jessica Korda and win the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour. Spaniard

Ana Pelaez Trivino and France’s Pauline Roussin also finished three back.

Mike Weir shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to take a onestroke lead over fellow major champion Padraig Harrington into the final round of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y.

Play was suspended for the day at the European Czech Masters after the course was f looded following heavy rain.