Heading into the last day of the Wells Fargo Championship, Rory McIlroy is just one stroke behind Xander Schauffele, following a challenging third round on Saturday in Charlotte. Schauffele has managed to maintain the lead after the initial three rounds, even after scoring a mere one-under 70 at Quail Hollow on Saturday. McIlroy, a three-time champion of the Wells Fargo, carded a faultless four-under 67, narrowing down Schauffele’s four-shot lead from the weekend.
Third position sees Sungjae Im from South Korea, who stands at eight-under-par following a fateful tee shot at the 17th hole, and a par finish at the 18th hole bunker from the top of the flagstick. Schauffele only mustered birdies at the 7th and 14th holes, finding trouble at the 12th with an unsuccessful escape from the par 4 greenside bunker.
In comparison to his robust 64-67 start to the week, Schauffele’s performance was, in his own words, “not as clean” and a “mixed bag”. He blamed his complacency for making his challenge harder. Contrarily, McIlroy capitalised and scored birdies at the 5th, 9th, 10th and 14th holes, demonstrating notable precision with his approach shots at the 5th and 14th.
McIlroy, the world number two, who bagged the championship in 2010, 2015 and 2021, has not recorded a bogey since Thursday. He attributed his success to his ability to weather challenges within six feet, along with his in-depth knowledge of the course, which helped him avoid pitfalls. He took pride in completing two successive rounds on the course in current conditions without a single bogey, considering it quite an accomplishment.
The golf course presented a challenge to the players, with Rory McIlroy and Austria’s Sepp Straka (67) being the only ones to secure scores above two under. Straka ascended to fourth position, seven under, after earning four out of his seven birdies in his last six holes.
Irish golfer Séamus Power had a favourable day, shooting one-under to reach even par and securing a tie for 24th place. In contrast, fellow Irish golfer Shane Lowry was lagging behind, tied at the 53rd spot, six over.
The attention of spectators on Sunday will be focused on a heated match between two top-class players, as they compete in the final group for the second day in a row. Schauffele expressed his anticipation and slight anxiety with McIlroy in close pursuit, admitting he would need to reproduce his successful tee approach and concentrate more on hitting the greens. Schauffele hasn’t enjoyed a victory since July 2022.
Meanwhile, on the women’s LPGA Tour, a tight competition is anticipated as Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom leads with 19 under, a slender one-shot lead over Rose Zhang, who herself has a significant 10-shot lead over the third place. Leona Maguire exhibited improved performance on Saturday and scored 71, improving to three under and narrowly remaining in the top 25.
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