MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tommy Fleetwood had a three-shot swing go in opposition to him early and a two-shot swing value him on the ultimate gap Saturday within the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He did sufficient proper in between for a 1-under 69 and a one-shot lead over Justin Rose as he goes for his first PGA Tour title.
If that wasn’t sufficient, Scottie Scheffler had an enormous presence solely two pictures again.
Nonetheless, these two holes have been a reminder to Fleetwood that 18 holes can really feel a great distance off at TPC Southwind. There figures to be loads of stress on the prime and scattered among the many remainder of the sphere attempting to advance within the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“It is simply one other alternative for me to exit and try to have the most effective spherical of golf I can, take pleasure in being in that place,” Fleetwood mentioned. “The extra I put myself there, the extra likelihood there may be of it taking place, and simply exit and continue learning from each expertise. However tomorrow may be my day, it won’t, however being there may be an important factor, and I am going to proceed to try to try this.”
Fleetwood, who has received lots on huge levels all over the world however not on the PGA Tour, began the third spherical with a three-shot lead over Rose, who needed to end his storm-delayed second spherical within the morning.
On the par-5 third, Fleetwood’s second shot got here up brief and into the water. He took his penalty drop, after which hit wedge over the inexperienced right into a bunker. Fleetwood mentioned he observed his golf ball transfer ever so barely on his swing with the wedge.
Guidelines officers studied the video and decided that if it moved — they could not decide if it did as a result of it was so slight — Fleetwood did not trigger it and no penalty was issued. He made double bogey, and Rose ran off three straight birdies to take the lead.
“The third was simply such a kerfuffle and such a multitude,” he mentioned. “It was not that unhealthy of a second shot, nevertheless it’s clearly a horrible shot if it is within the water. From there, drop, form of felt just like the ball had moved after I hit it, thinned it over the again, simply made a double for nothing actually.”
Fleetwood rebounded to not solely regain the lead however construct it again to 3 pictures. However on the 18th gap, he drove into the tough, could not attain the inexperienced and made bogey to complete 54 holes at 14-under 196.
Rose hit out of the tough to five toes from the entrance pin for his first birdie for the reason that seventh gap. That gave him a 67 and put him within the closing group along with his Ryder Cup teammate.
Scheffler, in the meantime, put collectively six birdies in his spherical of 65 and was two pictures behind. He made his lone bogey on No. 10, and Scheffler averted one other when his bunker shot on No. 12 hit a sprinkler that saved it from occurring the inexperienced. He holed a 25-foot putt from the perimeter.
Scheffler, already assured of protecting the No. 1 seed within the FedEx Cup playoffs, goes for his fifth win of the yr. If he does it, he can be first participant with 5 tour wins in back-to-back seasons since Tiger Woods had three straight from 2005-07.
Scheffler has not completed out of the highest 10 since March.
U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun (65) and Andrew Novak (67) have been three pictures behind.
Sunday is without doubt one of the extra crucial days on the PGA Tour, and never only for Fleetwood. The highest 50 within the FedEx Cup advance to the second playoff occasion on the BMW Championship and are assured of entering into all of the $20 million signature occasions subsequent yr.
Rickie Fowler and Chris Kirk every had a 66 and have been projected to maneuver into the highest 50, together with Bud Cauley and Jhonattan Vegas.
Amongst those that might get bumped out is Jordan Spieth, who needed to accept one other 70. Key for the gamers like Fowler and Cauley are staying excessive on the leaderboard as a result of these are price extra factors and so they have extra room to make up.
For Fleetwood, it is about successful.
He’s No. 15 on the earth. He has 42 top-10 finishes, 28 top-5 finishes, and 11 top-3 finishes — all probably the most by any participant and not using a win within the final 40 years. He has starred in two Ryder Cups for Europe and received in opposition to sturdy fields.
However the lack of a PGA Tour title is changing into a burden. He had a one-shot lead on the ultimate gap on the Vacationers Championship in June till taking three putts from simply off the inexperienced and dropping to Keegan Bradley‘s birdie.
His hope in June was to get one other likelihood sooner reasonably than later, and his subsequent one is Sunday on the TPC Southwind.
Data from ESPN Analysis and The Related Press was used on this report.