Scottie Scheffler inches closer to victory at The Open on Saturday
Scheffler posted a workmanlike 4-under-par 67 at Royal Portrush to get to 14-under 199, with China's Haotong Li (69) his closest pursuer at 10 under. On a day where the majority of the field shot under par— and six of the top eight players made at least one eagle— Scheffler kept his round bogey-free to remain in the driver's seat.
Matt Fitzpatrick played in the final pairing with Scheffler and hung with him for much of the front nine before settling for an even-par 71. He's alone in third at 9 under, and he and Tyrrell Hatton (8 under) hold outside chances at being the first Englishman to win the Open since 1992.
The fans in Northern Ireland would rather see their native son Rory McIlroy charge from six back to capture an emotional major triumph. McIlroy's eventful day featured a bizarre shot that unearthed another golf ball buried in the rough; he buried a 56-foot eagle putt one hole later on his way to a 66.
Tied with McIlroy and Hatton (68) at 8 under are Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup and Harris English, each of whom shot 68 Saturday. Defending Open champion Xander Schauffele carded two eagles in a round of 66 and sits in eighth at 7 under.
Scheffler saved par at No. 14 after his tee shot was buried in some thick rough. He widened the gap between him and the pack when he made birdie at the par-3 16th from 14 feet away.
Fitzpatrick erased an opening bogey by chipping in for eagle at the par-5 second to tie Scheffler for the lead. Up ahead, Hatton drew within two of the leaders when he holed out for eagle at No. 7 from 139 yards; his ball landed softly on the green, took some sidespin to the left and dropped into the cup.
The tournament seemed wide open as Scheffler opened his round with six straight pars. But he stuck his second shot at No. 7 to 10 1/2 feet and rolled in the eagle putt, followed immediately by a birdie at No. 8 to reach 13 under.
No. 11 was a crucial point, as both Scheffler and Fitzpatrick hit poor drives and second shots. Scheffler landed in a native area high above the green, but chipped on and saved par.
Fitzpatrick, in contrast, barely got his third shot onto the surface and settled for bogey, giving the World No. 1 a three-shot edge over him and Li. He had two more bogeys and a birdie the rest of the way in.
Li, a 29-year-old with four wins on the DP World Tour, has only one top-10 major finish in his career -- third place at the 2017 Open. He leads the field this week in greens in regulation (46 of 54), fewest bogeys or worse (three, tied with Scheffler) and par-4 scoring (6 under). He will be the first man from China to play in the final Sunday pairing at a major.
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