PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — You didn’t want to have a look at the scoreboard to know what sort of day it was on the Gamers Championship.
You wanted solely to have a look at the exasperated expressions on the gamers’ faces.
Actually, all you wanted to do was watch Scottie Scheffler.
The No. 1 ranked participant on the planet, whose capability to stay completely unflappable within the face of adversity is one in every of his superpowers, whipped his golf ball into the lake at 16 after lacking a brief putt and club-slammed a wedge into his bag after hitting an errant strategy shot over the 18th inexperienced.
Scheffler appeared extra rattled by the unpredictability of the gusting and swirling wind circumstances that wreaked havoc on the third spherical on Saturday than he did when he was arrested on his strategy to the second spherical of the PGA Championship final 12 months in Louisville.
The day was diabolical. The circumstances have been treacherous. One of the best gamers on the planet usually appeared confused.
Everybody appeared pissed off.
Everybody besides J.J. Spaun, a 34-year-old journeyman from California, who after his spherical on Friday opened a vein whereas talking to reporters articulating in regards to the problem of touring on the PGA Tour and being away from his household.
Spaun, who shot a 2-under-par 70 on Saturday, secured the 54-hole lead in type when he buried a 25-foot par-save putt that spun across the gap and disappeared into the cup.
He’s another nice spherical away from altering his life without end, standing at 12-under par with a one-shot lead coming into the ultimate spherical.
“I’m certain individuals have their opinions or doubts,’’ Spaun stated, referring to the truth that he’s hardly one of many large weapons many predicted to win this event. “However I’m taking part in good, and so long as I imagine that I can win this factor that’s all I actually care about.’’
Bud Cauley, who grew up within the shadow of TPC Sawgrass and used to attend the event when he was a baby, is 11-under par, one shot again. Alex Smalley is 10-under.
Lucas Glover and Akshay Bhatia are each 9-under.
Rory McIlroy and Corey Conners are 8-under, adopted by a protracted checklist of gamers at 7-under par and never out of it, together with Patrick Cantlay, Sepp Straka, Jake Knapp and Danny Walker, who bought into the sector as an alternate when Jason Day fell unwell.
“[I’m] not out of it by any means,’’ McIlroy stated. “The wind is meant to nonetheless be blowing tomorrow. I noticed there that a number of guys struggled on the way in which in. This golf course on the perfect of days can try this, however at any time when the circumstances are like this, there’s some large numbers lurking on the market.’’
There was no scarcity of stress on at the present time, with wind gusts of greater than 30 miles per hour.
Will Zalatoris was tied for the lead at 11-under par, quadrupled the 14th gap and proceeded to play the ultimate 5 holes in 9-over par.
Min Woo Lee, who had a share of the lead coming into the weekend at 11-under par, shot 78 and fell to 5-under.
Rickie Fowler, who started the day at 5-under par and saying he was trying ahead to the problem of taking part in within the wind, shot 82.
Fowler was 8-over par on his first eight holes.
Emiliano Grillo shot 85 after coming into the day at 6-under par and in rivalry.
Solely three gamers from the ultimate 10 pairings shot rounds beneath par — Spaun (70), Glover (71) and Straka (71).
Scheffler, the two-time defending champion, trying as unsettled as he did, felt just like the image of the making an attempt day.
The most important deficit overcome by a Gamers champion is 5 pictures, which has been accomplished thrice.
Scheffler, who’s seven pictures again at 5-under, was requested if he thinks he can win a 3rd consecutive Gamers.
“You by no means know,’’ he stated. “Perhaps do one thing loopy tomorrow.
Spaun will hardly relaxation comfortably coming into the cauldron on Sunday.
He’s held a 54-hole led 4 occasions in his profession and received as soon as — within the 2022 Texas Open, his solely profession win.
Solely 5 of the previous 17 Gamers Championship 54-hole leaders went on to win.
An attention-grabbing aspect observe concerning Spaun is that his caddie, Mark Carens, was Si Woo Kim’s caddie when Kim received the Gamers in 2017.
Spaun known as the par putt on 18 “enormous,’’ including, “It hooped in there, which was sort of the way in which the day was going for me. All the pieces was going rather well for me.
“It was positively a grind right now with these circumstances on already a troublesome course. I knew I needed to keep affected person and it paid off right now.’’
With potential thunderstorms within the forecast for Sunday, the tee occasions for the ultimate spherical have been moved up and the gamers will go off in threesomes with the leaders going off at 10 a.m
