Tour Championship – spherical three
-15 V Hovland (Nor); -14 R Gerard (US); -12 A Scott (Aus), L Aberg (Swe), S Scheffler, C Gotterup (US)
Chosen: -10 R McIlroy (NI), C Younger (US); -8 J Rose (Eng), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -7 T Fleetwood (Eng), A Fitzpatrick (Eng); -4 R MacIntyre (Sco)
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Viktor Hovland will head into the ultimate spherical of the PGA Tour's $40m Tour Championship in Atlanta on Sunday with a one-stroke lead.
The season-ending occasion will even crown the FedEx Cup champion, which was received by Hovland in 2023.
The Norwegian, who got here into the third spherical tied for the lead on 10 below with American Ryan Gerard, birdied the seventeenth and 18th holes to submit a five-under-par 65 to enhance to fifteen below.
Gerard additionally birdied the ultimate gap to complete one again on 14 below after a spherical of 66.
"I imply, 65 on the market, particularly with that end, tremendous pleased with that," stated Hovland.
"It's been simply a kind of weeks the place I've been in a position to put it collectively each single day for 3 days.
"It's fairly bunched up round 11 and 12-under-par. You've seen some 62s on the market, you may take it low. So it was good to get a little bit little bit of distance, particularly from the group of men which are round that quantity."
Lurking within the chasing pack are the world's high two gamers, with primary Scottie Scheffler, the 2024 champion, producing a serene bogey-free spherical of 66 to complete three adrift on 12 below.
Again-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy – a report three-time FedEx Cup winner in 2016, 2019 and 2022 – catapulted himself into competition with a vastly spectacular 63 to sit down 5 photographs off the lead.
The 37-year-old discovered kind together with his putter as he holed 9 birdies, together with three in a row on 15, 16 and 17 to submit the joint lowest spherical of the day.
"I simply left myself in higher spots on the greens," stated McIlroy.
"I gave myself simpler putts, putts that didn't break two methods. Once I bought it rolling there on the again 9, each putt was like a cup proper or a cup left.
"It's the final spherical of the PGA Tour season. I've nonetheless bought plenty of golf left this 12 months, however it will likely be good to exit and provides it a very good run tomorrow to complete this season over within the States."
Australia's Adam Scott, 46, who received the Tour Championship 20 years in the past is alongside Scheffler after additionally carding a 66, whereas Sweden's Ludvig Aberg posted a 65 to additionally end on 12 below.
McIlroy is joined on 10 below by Gamers Championship winner Cameron Younger.
England's Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick are in all probability too far again to problem or the title at eight below par.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and fellow Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick are a shot additional adrift after each signed for 67s.
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, first out and enjoying on his personal within the 29-man area (diminished from 30 as a result of JJ Spaun pulled out injured throughout spherical one) whipped spherical in 63 photographs to enhance to joint twenty fifth on 4 below par.
