PGA Tour: When Kurt Kitayama fired an even-par 72 to take a one-shot lead into Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Tyrrell Hatton and Rory McIlroy are still in the race.
Hatton, who won the competition in 2020, is in fourth place after shooting a six-under 66 on Saturday, two strokes behind Kitayama.
McIlroy also avoided making bogeys, finishing the round at four under par to tie for fifth place with Harris English and fall three strokes down.
“I think you’re doing something right at Bay Hill any time you can go bogey-free on the weekend,” McIlroy said. “I immediately entered the competition and the action for tomorrow.”
Kitayama, 30, maintained his composure down the stretch and finished with two birdies over the final three holes to finish with an even-par 72 and a one-shot lead. Kitayama is still seeking his first PGA Tour triumph.
In contrast, the defending champion Scottie Scheffler made five birdies in his final seven holes to tie for second place with Viktor Hovland of Norway (66) and finish with a score of 68.
If Kitayama lost ground or if Bay Hill became scorched and brittle, as it usually does for the final round, McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Max Homa were all within striking distance of him.
Kitayama survived for the time being.
He said, “Just proud of the way I fought.”
After Hovland established himself at the top and McIlroy made his move with a spectacular bogey-free round of 68, his two-shot advantage was lost when he blasted his driveway to the right and out-of-bounds on the par-5 fourth hole. He went out in 39.
But, Scheffler, who has already successfully defended one championship this year at the WM Phoenix Open, is breathing down his neck.
He aced both par 5s on the back nine, made a birdie on the 13th with a lob wedge at a tricky pin, and saved his best for the par-3 17th. His only chance, even with the wind at his back, was to hit something that stuck on the abrasive green. A soft 9-iron was the first to come to mind. He elected to pound his 9-iron after sensing a change in the wind, and it landed in the hole at 4 feet for a birdie.
On the 18th hole, Scheffler completed his birdie-birdie-birdie round with an approach to six feet.
The Masters champion is now within reach of a second championship, which may be enough to return him to the top of the world rankings.
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