Scottie Scheffler overcomes terrible hole to keep lead at PGA Memorial Tournament

DUBLIN (Ohio) – Scottie Scheffler is looking to maintain his focus for one more round in The Memorial to complete the task before the next Major championship.

“I don’t really change anything,” he said after shooting a one-under 71 on June 8.

“I’m going to go out (on June 9) and try and have a good round of golf, keep my head down and stay in my own little world out there.”

The world No. 1 recovered from a disastrous hole midway through the third round and regained control in Dublin, Ohio. He will take a four-shot lead into the final round at Muirfield Village Golf Club. He is 10-under 206 for the tournament.

“I think you still got to play the course the right way,” he said.

“This is one of those places where there are certain holes where you just got to step up and hit a great shot.

“There are a lot of spots out there where if you play too conservative, you can get into some pretty tough spots pretty quick.”

Canada’s Adam Hadwin shot 72, slipping into a three-way tie for second place at six under with American Collin Morikawa and Austria’s Sepp Straka, who both shot 68.

Scheffler and Hadwin bogeyed the final hole.

Despite another Major looming at the June 13-16 US Open in North Carolina, there is no reason for Scheffler to be looking ahead to that opportunity.

“As far as the tournament week goes, I’m here to compete and play my best,” he said.

“I’m not really focused on next week at the moment.”

He played the first six holes at two under, but a triple-bogey seven on the ninth hole sent him cascading back to the pack.

His three-shot lead vanished, but it did not take long to move back ahead. Scheffler got on track with a birdie on No. 10. That began a stretch of three birdies in six holes.

PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele (71) and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (72) shared fifth place at four under.

The best round of the day belonged to South Korea’s Im Sung-jae at 67, but he was tied for 11th at two under.

Meanwhile, talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi backers of LIV Golf have accelerated in recent months, most recently at a June 7 in-person meeting in New York City, the United States-based circuit said on June 8.

The PGA Tour Enterprises Transaction Subcommittee, a group that includes 15-time Major champion Tiger Woods, was present at the latest meeting with Public Investment Fund (PIF) governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan where more progress was made, the PGA said.

A PIF spokesman told Reuters it was not commenting on negotiations but that “may change at some point”. REUTERS