Scottie Scheffler Leads Alone at Colonial
Scottie Scheffler has led following all three rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but going into Sunday’s final round, the world’s No. 1 player is two strokes clear of his closest pursuer.
The 25-year old from Dallas who already has four wins this season on the PGA TOUR including the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play and The Masters.
In two previous starts at Colonial, Scheffler has a missed cut and a T55, but after only one bogey in 54 holes, he is poised to add the Leonard Trophy to resume. Scheffler went bogey-free until No. 17, but turned around and drained a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to close out with a 68 and posting 11-under.
“I hit it a little bit too firm. I struggled a little bit with the speed of the greens today. It’s tough when the wind gets blowing that hard. Like 18 I’m putting downhill but straight into the wind, and depending on what kind of gust I get, it’s going to move that ball around on the green a lot,” Scheffler said. “That one I was just trying to make sure I got to the hole because putting downhill when the greens kind of get iffy late in the day is very tough, so it’s much easier when you’re on the other side of the hole putting up. Fortunately that one hit the bottom of the cup.”
Brendon Todd had the round of the day with a 65 that began eagle-birdie and finished with 10 consecutive pars. Todd is attempting to become the 16th golfer to win the DFW Double of both the AT&T Byron Nelson and Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club after capturing the Nelson in 2014 when the event was contested at the Four Seasons Resort & Club in Las Colinas.
“I got off to that great start with the eagle-birdie start. I had seen some guys go out in the morning, get off to fast starts. Zach Johnson, Sam Burns, Lee Hodges all were maybe 3-under through three, as well, so I knew it was out there,” Todd said. “Really it’s just kind of about not necessarily hanging on but just making sure you continue to play smart golf and don’t go out there and try and birdie every hole and maybe shoot yourself in the foot by playing too aggressive. I did a good job of managing the wind and the golf course and scrambled pretty well there on the back nine.”
2016 Colonial champion Jordan Spieth is currently in 12th place, six shots behind Scheffler. He is paired with Pat Perez in the final round with a noon tee time.
Rickie Fowler had four birdies on the opening nine, but five consecutive bogeys from 11-15 dropped him back in the field. He currently sits at EVEN in a tie for 42nd.
