Even with a couple of PGA Tour stars eager to emerge into the mix at the top of the Charles Schwab Challenge leaderboard, Ben Griffin and Germany’s Matti Schmid will wait to keep the focus on their tasks.
They each shot 2-under-par 68s in the third round Saturday to maintain the top spots in their quests for breakthrough victories this weekend at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Griffin and Schmid have been tied at the end of all three rounds this week. They’re at 13-under 197 with a four-shot lead.
“I feel like I’m in a really good spot,” Griffin said. “It seems like me and Matti are going to duel it out a little bit (Sunday) based on the way the leaderboard is, at least try to take advantage of our leads that we currently have over third and fourth.”
Rickie Fowler and Scottie Scheffler are hanging around.
Fowler posted 67 to move to third place at 9 under. He wants to be a factor on the last day.
“I haven’t been far off for quite a while,” Fowler said. “I’ve seen glimpses here and there of some really good golf. … We’ve got a couple of guys that are out there a little ways in front of me, and see if we can go chase them down.”
Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer, plowed his way through the field with a 64, putting him at 7 under and potentially within range of the leaders going into the final round.
“I felt like I definitely rolled it better than I did the first two days,” Scheffler said. “Outside of that, I wouldn’t say there was really a huge difference. I just hit a couple of better shots.”
Griffin is bidding for his second PGA Tour victory, but the first in an individual competition. He was part of the pairing with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April.
Schmid, in his 79th tour event, is seeking his first victory. His best finishes are a pair of third places.
“I had a few close calls also on the European Tour,” Schmid said. “I also played some nice final rounds this year too, so hopefully I can just put one more up there.”
Both golfers birdied the first three holes. Schmid then had all pars, aside from a bogey on No. 11, through the 15th.
Griffin fell three strokes back with a double-bogey at No. 5 followed by a bogey on the next hole. He recovered with birdies on two of the next four holes, and pulled even courtesy of Schmid’s first bogey.
Schmid went ahead with a birdie on the 16th hole and gave it back on the next hole with a bogey.
Griffin went with his driver eight times Saturday. He said he’ll want to stay aggressive.
“I don’t foresee myself changing any sort of game plan going into (Sunday),” Griffin said. “Just trying to make a ton of birdies.”
Perhaps overshadowed by Scheffler’s surge, Fowler is lurking as well. Other than a three-putt on the par-4 No. 12, he had no complaints.
“It’s a tough one to swallow,” Fowler said. “You never want to have a three-putt. It wasn’t like I was that far away either, but a lot of good stuff other than that this week on the greens.”
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre shot 64 to sit at 8 under for the tournament. He’s joined in a fourth-place tie by Nick Hardy (67) and Akshay Bhatia (69).
Scheffler, who won last week’s PGA Championship and is seeking to extend his winning streak to three tournaments, is up to a tie for seventh. He was 7 under for the round after an eagle on the 11th hole, but three bogeys and two birdies the rest of the way zapped some of the momentum.
“You are always going to hope to go play a perfect round,” Scheffler said. “It basically never happens. I mean, three bogeys definitely hurts, especially when you are trying to chase, but overall I did some good things today. I’m definitely going to need to do more of the same (Sunday).”
Novak (67) and Kurt Kitayama (67) are also at 7 under.
Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune was poised to be among the top tier until playing the final six holes in 3 over for a 71, dipping to 6 under. Lucas Glover shot 64, boosted by an eagle from the fairway (136 yards away) on the par-4 sixth hole, to join the large group at 6 under.
First-round leader John Pak (73) dipped to 6 under.
–Field Level Media
