Scottish Open: Xander Schauffele leads the Genesis Scottish Open by two shots heading into the final round, with Jordan Spieth and Matt Fitzpatrick close behind.
Schauffele mixed six birdies and two bogeys on his way to a four-under 66 at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, bringing him to seven under par and putting him in a position to win back-to-back PGA Tour titles.
The world No. 11’s bogey-bogey finish cut his lead over nearest challenger Rafa Cabrera Bello in half, while Spieth’s third-round 66 moved him into a tie for third with fellow American Ryan Palmer and England’s Jordan Smith.
Cameron Tringale is four strokes back with Fitzpatrick and Alex Smalley after a four-over 74, while former US Open champion Gary Woodland is five strokes back with LIV Golf member Branden Grace – a last-minute addition to the field after DP World Tour suspensions were lifted.
Tringale had a three-shot lead going into the weekend and restored it with a 14-foot eagle at the par-five third, only to make three consecutive bogeys from the sixth to reach the turn in 36.
With a dropped shot at the 11th, the world No. 55 lost more ground, allowing Schauffele, who started four strokes back, to take the lead by following birdies at the third and sixth holes with four more in a six-hole stretch beginning at the 11th.
Schauffele, who came into the week after winning the JP McManus Pro-Am, dropped his first shot of the day when he failed to get up and down from wide of the par-three 17th green and then missed from eight feet to save par at the last.
“I had pretty much everything going,” Schauffele said. “I was judging the bounces well and making sort of the putts I need to and getting up-and-down when I was missing the green. Six birdies through 16, no complaints, and a tough finish. So overall, pretty okay with the day.”
Cabrera Bello moved into contention for a second Scottish Open title after beginning his back nine with an eagle and three birdies in a four-hole stretch, helping him to a three-under 67, while Spieth moved into a tie for third after carding two eagles.
Smith birdied three of the last four holes but bogeyed the last to finish with a second consecutive 69, while Palmer was also within two of the lead until a final-hole bogey. Tringale dropped shots on his final two holes to get back to three under, which Fitzpatrick maintained after a third-round 70.
The Open Qualifying Series provides three places for The 150th Open to the top three players in the top ten who are not already exempt. These qualifiers will then compete in St Andrews the following week.
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