Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf, started the third round with a three-shot lead at the Memorial, broke par on a tough day at Muirfield Village with a 1-under 71 and extended his lead to four shots. It all sounds like everything went according to plan.
Not even close.
He hit one bunker shot over the green and into a creek. His tee shot on the ninth hole went left, hit a tree and shot over a fence and out-of-bounces. He ended the day with a three-putt for bogey on the 18th hole.
All that sounded normal was Scheffler moving closer to another PGA Tour victory. He was at 10-under 206 and has the largest 54-hole lead of his career. Collin Morikawa (68) and Adam Hadwin of Canada (72) were at 2010.
Scheffler answered with a birdie after both of his penalty shots, and Muirfield was tough enough that he never fell out of the lead, even after the triple bogey.
Morikawa will be in the final group with Scheffler, just as he was at the Masters. He is a past champion at Muirfield Village, winning the Workday Charity Open in 2020 when the course Jack Nicklaus built hosted consecutive tournaments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shin up by 1 at ShopRite Classic
Jenny Shin shot a 2-under 69 on Saturday and will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic as she seeks her first victory since 2016.
With the wind kicking up and making conditions tougher at the Bay Course at Seaview Resort, the 31-year-old from South Korea had six birdies and four bogeys to post a two-day total of 10-under 132.
It was much different than Friday’s opening round, when Shin had nine birdies and a bogey in calmer conditions to match a career low with a 63.
Albane Valenzuela, who is trying to become the first Swiss player to win on tour, shot at 68 at was alone in second, a shot ahead of Ssu-Chia Cheng, Narin An, Megan Khang and Wei-Ling Hsu.
Ayaka Furue, who has six top-10 finishes this year including a tie for sixth in last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, was among the group three shots back.
In all, there were 13 players within three shots of of Shin heading into the final round and 26 within four, including first-round leader Arpichaya Yubol, who shot 75 after opening with a career-best 61.
Four tied at top at LIV Houston
David Puig of Spain had a 6-under 66 on Saturday to join a four-way share of the lead going into the final round of LIV Golf Houston that no longer includes Jon Rahm.
Rahm withdrew after playing is six holes — all of them pars — because of an infected left foot. He pulled out just five days before the start of the U.S. Open.
The severity of the injury was not immediately known.
Puig, the 22-year-old Spaniard who played at Arizona State, was tied with Carlos Ortiz (68), Adrian Meronk (69) and Paul Casey (67). They were at 10-under 134. All of them will be going for their first LIV Golf title. Meronk joined the Saudi-funded league this year.