Tour Championship – spherical three
-15 V Hovland (Nor); -14 R Gerard (US); -12 A Scott (Aus), L Aberg (Swe), S Scheffler, C Gotterup (US)
Chosen: -10 R McIlroy (NI), C Younger (US); -8 J Rose (Eng), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -7 T Fleetwood (Eng), A Fitzpatrick (Eng); -4 R MacIntyre (Sco)
Viktor Hovland will head into the ultimate spherical of the PGA Tour’s $40m Tour Championship in Atlanta on Sunday with a one-stroke lead.
The season-ending occasion can even crown the FedEx Cup champion, which was gained by Hovland in 2023.
The Norwegian, who got here into the third spherical tied for the lead on 10 underneath with American Ryan Gerard, birdied the seventeenth and 18th holes to put up a five-under-par 65 to enhance to fifteen underneath.
Gerard additionally birdied the ultimate gap to complete one again on 14 underneath after a spherical of 66.
Lurking within the chasing pack are the world’s prime two gamers, with primary Scottie Scheffler, the 2024 champion, producing a serene bogey-free spherical of 66 to complete three adrift on 12 underneath.
Again-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy – a file three-time FedEx Cup winner in 2016, 2019 and 2022 – catapulted himself into rivalry with a massively spectacular 63 to take a seat 5 pictures off the lead.
The 37-year-old discovered type along with his putter as he holed 9 birdies, together with three in a row on 15, 16 and 17 to put up the joint lowest spherical of the day.
“I simply left myself in higher spots on the greens,” stated McIlroy.
“I gave myself simpler putts, putts that did not break two methods. Once I obtained it rolling there on the again 9, each putt was like a cup proper or a cup left.”
Australia’s Adam Scott, 46, who gained the Tour Championship 20 years in the past is alongside Scheffler after additionally carding a 66, whereas Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg posted a 65 to additionally end on 12 underneath.
McIlroy is joined on 10 underneath by Gamers Championship winner Cameron Younger.
England’s Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick are most likely too far again to problem or the title at eight underneath par.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and fellow Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick are a shot additional adrift after each signed for 67s.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, first out and enjoying on his personal within the 29-man area (lowered from 30 as a result of JJ Spaun pulled out injured throughout spherical one) whipped spherical in 63 pictures to enhance to joint twenty fifth on 4 underneath par.
