Xander Schauffele sits in second place and Collin Morikawa shares third with Keegan Bradley; Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Wyndham Clark in tied-fifth as Viktor Hovland closes on FedExCup victory; watch the final round live on Sunday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf
By Ali Stafford
Last Updated: 27/08/23 1:34am
Viktor Hovland takes a six-shot lead into the final round of the FedExCup finale
Viktor Hovland is closing in on back-to-back PGA Tour titles and FedExCup victory after taking a commanding six-shot lead heading into the final round of the Tour Championship.
Last week’s BMW Championship winner shared top spot with Collin Morikawa heading into the weekend of the season finale but pulled clear of the field during a weather-disrupted third round at East Lake.
Hovland mixed five birdies with a lone bogey during an impressive four-under 66 to move to 20 under, leaving him comfortably ahead of closest challenge Xander Schauffele and in prime position to secure the $18m jackpot.
Hovland fired a final-round 61 to win the BMW Championship on Sunday
Schauffele posted a two-under 68 to sit in second ahead of Morikawa and Keegan Bradley, who birdied two of his last four holes to salvage a level-par 70, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler among those in the group tied-fifth after struggling to a three-over 73.
Hovland takes control of Tour Championship
After the final pair opened with back-to-back pars, Hovland missed a 10-foot birdie look at the third and Morikawa failed to convert from a similar distance at the next as neither was able to grab the advantage.
Collin Morikawa was playing alongside Hovland in the final group on Saturday at East Lake
Morikawa carded his first dropped shot of the tournament when he hit a poor chip into a bunker on his way to a double-bogey at the fifth, gifting Hovland a two-shot lead with a par, only for Schauffele to make three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the fourth to close within one.
Hovland ended a run of pars by posting back-to-back birdies from the sixth, which put him four clear when Schauffele bogeyed the eighth, with the Norwegian squandering a 10-foot look on the same hole after a stunning recovery from the fairway bunker.
Xander Schauffele will play in the final group on Sunday
Schauffele started his back nine with an eight-foot birdie but dropped a shot at the 12th after a wayward tee shot left him punching out of the trees, with Hovland staying four ahead when play was halted at 5.28pm local time (10.28pm BST) for 75 minutes due to the threat of lightning.
Hovland made the dream start when play resumed as he followed a 10-foot birdie at the 12th by converting from double the distance at the next, which briefly saw him move seven ahead when Schauffele missed from five feet to save par at the 15th.
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Schauffele responded by making a 12-foot birdie at the 16th, allowing him to close within five when Hovland bogeyed the 14th after an errant drive and poor approach, only for the leader to bounce back himself by pouring in from 15 feet at the par-three next.
Hovland squandered birdie looks from inside 10 feet on each of his last three holes but remained six ahead and in control after Schauffele could only par the last, with Bradley and Morikawa a further stroke back heading into the final day.
Hovland threatened to extend his lead further over the closing holes
“I need to go out and try and put as much pressure on him [Hovland] tomorrow on that front nine as I can and hope for the best,” Schauffele said. “He’s just playing unbelievable golf.”
US Open champion Wyndham Clark and Masters winner Jon Rahm share fifth spot on 11 under with FedExCup leader Scheffler, who carded his only birdie of the day on the final hole, with Rory McIlory a further two strokes back in a share of eighth after a one-over 71 dropped him to nine under.
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