Xander Schauffele shot a powerful 65 to take a one-stroke lead into the ultimate spherical of The Gamers, however Rory McIlroy wants a closing spherical miracle regardless of making birdies at his final three holes.
The world quantity two headed for the vary for the second day working as he once more struggled along with his swing however nonetheless shot a 69 that left him eight pictures behind Schauffele in a tie for twelfth.
The Holywood star once more completed within the pack for his ball-striking as he missed six fairways and 5 greens.
Stage par by means of the flip, he birdied the eleventh and twelfth to get to two-under for his spherical however double-bogeyed the 14th for the second day working earlier than his wonderful end.
It was a day to overlook for the Irish as Shane Lowry had a poor day on the greens and shot a stage par 72 that left him tied 51st on three-under.
As Seamus Energy struggled to a 78 sit in joint final place on three-over, Lowry missed two putts inside 4 ft and 6 inside 10 ft .
It was a unique story for Schauffele, who made 138 ft of putts in his seven-under spherical to go from 4 strokes behind midway chief Wyndham Clark to 1 forward of the reigning US Open champion.
“Yeah, I imply, I solely hit two fairways on the again 9,” Schauffele stated. “I used to be simply advised that on radio. Do not feel unhealthy for me.
“Whenever you make 58-footers, you form of get up-and-down on holes like 18 from the entrance tough, it takes a bit of little bit of stress off sure components of your sport.
“All in all, it was a little bit of a grind. Wind was swirling a bit of bit for each of us, for everybody on the market on the again 9. Simply was completely satisfied to remain in it and transfer on shifting day.”
Schauffele went out in four-under 32 and added birdies on the eleventh, twelfth and 14th to attract stage with Clark, who struggled off the tee.
Clark then did effectively to keep away from whole catastrophe on the 123-yard seventeenth, the place he chunked his sand wedge into the lake however bought up and down by re-teeing and making a seven-footer for bogey that he celebrated like a birdie.
He went on to par the final for a 70 as Schauffele scrambled for his 4 and a one-stroke lead on 17-under.
“Yeah, it is huge,” Clark stated of his bogey save on the seventeenth. “It is unlucky on a gap that is so iconic and has a bunch of bother to have form of your worst swing of the day.Â
“However yeah, I adopted it with an excellent swing and an excellent putt. I am within the closing group tomorrow, which is large.
“I am hoping that is an enormous level within the event and we glance again after tomorrow and take a look at that gap and say, hey, that was possibly the shot and the putt that meant all of it.”
As for his first try, he stated he’d agreed along with his caddie to take one thing off his inventory sand wedge.
“As I used to be over the ball I form of bought to the highest and I used to be like, take a bit of off after which I simply form of deceled and chunked it. It wasn’t actually a scarcity of focus or something. It simply was truthfully a poor swing.”
Schauffele and Clark received’t have all of it their very own manner after Open champion Brian Harman made 9 birdies in a 64 that left him simply two strokes off the tempo on 15 below.
“That is my favorite PGA TOUR occasion of the yr,” stated Harman, who was third behind Justin Thomas in 2021.Â
“I really like coming right here. They deal with us like kings after we present up. The golf course is unimaginable. I have been shut a few occasions. I am actually excited for tomorrow.”
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick birdied six of his final ten holes and 4 of his final 5 to shoot 68 and share fourth place with Maverick McNealy, who additionally shot 68, simply 4 strokes behind the chief.
Regardless of combating a neck harm, world primary and defending champion Scottie Scheffler additionally shot 68 to lie one shot additional again in a tie for sixth with Sahith Theegala.
“General, I am simply utilizing my fingers so much, making an attempt to hit pictures,” Scheffler stated of his bodily limitations.
“I might describe it as form of slapping it round out there’s form of what I am doing. Simply utilizing my fingers as a lot as I can, and simply making an attempt to slap it round, get it up there someplace close to the inexperienced and hopefully get up-and-down or make some putts.”
Like McIlroy, he completed with three straight birdies however admits he must “shoot very low” and get some assist from the leaders to win from 5 behind.
He added: “It is nice to have a pleasant end like that. Standing on 16 tee, I might say that I used to be fairly considerably out of the event, and to birdie the final three holes, I could also be six or seven again, however nonetheless have an opportunity.Â
“I would say there is a massive distinction between being six again and 9 again. I feel I am nonetheless inside capturing distance.”
At 5 behind, he can’t be discounted, however with an eight-shot deficit, McIlroy might want to iron out his long-game struggles and repeat the ten birdies he made in spherical one to have an opportunity.
