AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson reported:

Xander Schauffele closed the gap of four shots on Saturday with another round without any bogeys on a course known for its tricky challenges. The round was capped off with a 7-under 65 and a fantastic chip shot to secure par, giving him a one-shot lead going into the final round of The Players Championship.

Wyndham Clark, the winner of the U.S. Open, started with a four-shot advantage and extended it to five with a birdie on the first hole. He made a commendable effort to keep the gap from getting any larger.

Both golfers were equal heading to the par-3 17th hole on the island green. Clark’s wedge shot came up 15 yards shy of the green due to a clumsy hit. However, his next shot landed just 7 feet from the hole, allowing him to make bogey and finish with a score of 70 after saving par on the 18th.

Clark expressed disappointment in his poor swing on a well-known and challenging hole. However, he was able to recover with a strong swing and putt. He is now in the final group for tomorrow, a significant achievement.

“I’m optimistic that this will be a pivotal moment in the tournament, and when we reflect on tomorrow, we’ll see that that particular hole and its shot and putt were the key to our success.”

During a brief period on a pleasant afternoon, it appeared that The Players could become a competition between only Clark and Schauffele. However, there were plenty of birdies, daring shots, and strong comebacks that made Sunday full of potential.

Schauffele finished the round with a score of 17-under par, or 199 strokes in total.

British Open champion Brian Harman was slowed briefly by a bogey on the par-5 ninth that required him attempting a right-handed shot, and then the little lefty birdied four of his next five holes and finished with a 64. He was two shots behind.

Maverick McNealy and former U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick both scored a 68, putting them four shots behind the leader. Each showed moments of excellence and mistakes.

The current top-ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler, dealt with a neck injury this week but managed to stay in contention for the PGA Tour’s top tournament. Despite the pain, he finished with a 68, his 26th consecutive round under par this year, and sits only five shots behind. Sahith Theegala also shot a 67 to tie with Scheffler.

Scheffler stated that he is not yet eliminated from the tournament. Despite being at a disadvantage, a strong performance tomorrow could greatly improve his chances.

Schauffele has a total score of only one over par after completing three rounds on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. This was due to a double bogey he made on the 11th hole on Friday. He focused on making birdies in order to improve his standing, and despite a slow start, he successfully achieved his goal.

Schauffele, who has not won since the Scottish Open in the summer of 2022, failed to make a 4-foot birdie putt on the first hole. Meanwhile, Clark managed to make a 5-foot putt from the deep rough and scored a bogey.

Schauffele steadily closed the gap by scoring birdies, and by the time they reached the halfway point, he was only one shot behind. He caught up to Clark with a birdie on the 12th hole, which was easily reachable in one shot. Then, on the 14th hole, Schauffele seized the lead by sinking a birdie putt from a distance of approximately 60 feet.

However, he missed out on a few opportunities upon his arrival. Schauffele found himself in a difficult spot, going from thick rough to the soft sand of a bunker about 45 yards away from the green on the par-5 16th hole, making it nearly impossible to score a birdie. Additionally, on the 17th hole, after Clark hit his ball into the water with a front pin placement, Schauffele overshot the green and showed great skill in carefully placing his putt across the slope to reach a tap-in range.

He also located the pine straw on the right side of the 18th fairway, prompting him to quickly attempt to save par.

According to Schauffele, sinking long putts can alleviate some pressure on difficult holes such as the 18th from the front rough. The conditions were challenging for everyone on the back nine with swirling winds, making it a tough day, but Schauffele was able to stay in the game and advance on moving day.

Currently, he has two top contenders close behind him – Clark striving for his second victory this year and demonstrating superior skill on the course compared to anyone other than Scheffler, while Harman seeks his first triumph since claiming the claret jug at Royal Liverpool in the previous summer.

The unexpected highlight of the event was McNealy, who had just recovered from a back injury. He impressed with his performance in the final stretch, beginning with a 43-yard shot that resulted in a birdie on the 14th. He followed it up with a 60-foot birdie putt from off the green on the 15th, and then saved par with a 35-foot pitch shot.

On the 16th hole, he made a poor shot into the water, making it impossible to bounce back from. However, he redeemed himself by birdieing the 17th hole and earning a spot in the conversation on Sunday.

“If it were the Olympics for short games, I most likely would have won gold,” he stated. “It was a challenging and disorganized day.”

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The AP covers golf news and events at https://apnews.com/hub/golf.

Source: wralsportsfan.com