Scheffler fires 64 to move within two of Griffin at Procore Championship
World number one Scottie Scheffler posts eight-under 64 in third round at Silverado as Ben Griffin holds lead ahead of final day
Scottie Scheffler shot an eight-under-par 64 in the third round of the Procore Championship to move to within two shots of leader Ben Griffin at Silverado Country Club in Napa, California.
Griffin carded a steady 70 to remain atop the leaderboard at 16 under, with 20-year-old US amateur Jackson Koivun a shot back at 15 under after a 68. Scheffler's 64 left him at 14 under, three players behind Griffin when play began the day but now firmly in contention going into the final round.
Scheffler, the world number one, surged from 14th place overnight into third by carding 10 birdies — five on the front nine and five on the back — before a chip into a bunker on the par-4 14th led to a double bogey that denied him a share of the lead. He had opened the tournament with a 70, ending a run of 21 successive sub-70 rounds, and followed with a 68 in the second round.
"There's definitely some tricks to this golf course, things you've got to get used to," Scheffler said. "There are things that are hard to notice in the practice rounds. But when you start playing under tournament conditions you start seeing a little of those nuances."
Ten United States Ryder Cup players are competing at Silverado as part of their preparation for the matches against Europe at Bethpage Black in New York from 26-28 September. Griffin, a captain's pick who will make his Ryder Cup debut, said he had to adopt a different mindset as the leader.
"I've got to have that chasing mindset as a leader because I know all those guys behind me are going to stay aggressive and I've got to do everything I can to stay in front," Griffin said.
Of the remaining Ryder Cup contenders in the field, US Open champion JJ Spaun and Russell Henley were best placed after the third round at nine under. Other notable names further down the leaderboard included Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay at four under and Justin Thomas at two under.
The Procore Championship's final round will decide the winner as players look to sharpen form ahead of the Ryder Cup. Griffin goes into the last day with a one-shot cushion over Koivun and a two-shot lead over Scheffler, who will aim to convert his late surge into a victory at Silverado.