Scottie Scheffler was basically up-and-at-’em Sunday morning when they restarted the players who were still on the course when play halted Saturday afternoon.
Scheffler birdied four of his final six holes and posted 66 for his third round and stretched his lead to six shots. He’s 23-under par, six clear of Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.
Schauffele was just a shot behind Sheffler when play resumed at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday at East Lake. Scheffler got right to work. He stuffed his approach at 13 and made his first birdie, Schauffele missed a birdie putt from seven feet. At 14 Scheffler made par, Schauffele bogey. The lead was suddenly three.
At the 15th, which had the tees moved up to 152 yards, Sheffler made birdie from seven feet and Schauffele missed from 10 feet. Lead grew to four.
Both traded pars at the 16th then at 17 Scottie approach stopped inside three feet. Schauffele two-putted from 27 feet. Lead up to five. Then Scheffler finished it off with birdie at 18, his second was just short and his hit a nice little wedge shot to six inches. Schauffele’s second was left and after a drop from a drain, he still had a scruffy lie. His third finished long, 40 feet from the cup.
Scheffler’s 66 took him to 23-under and he’ll start the final 18 playing with Rory McIlroy. Rory shot 63 and was the first to post 17-under, ahead of Schauffele, who shot an even par 70.
Patrick Cantlay and Sungjae Im are both at 16-under, seven back.
