Xander Schauffele has fallen out of the top 10 in the World Golf Rankings, but has put himself in position to climb right back in.
The 12th-ranked Schauffele, from La Jolla and San Diego State, sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to shoot 4-under-par 66 and take a one-stroke lead over five players heading to the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
The PGA Tour’s first event since it shut down in March because of the Coronavirus pandemic is being played without spectators because of social distancing guidelines.
“It’s really quiet out there,” said Schauffele, who has won four times on the PGA Tour, but not since the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January of last year. “You make a couple of birdies and it’s still quite. There were a few fans hooting and hollering from over the fence, so that was kind of cool.
“I was playing well at home with some really good pros like Charley Hoffman and Phil Mickelson, and some good amateurs. I was making a lot of birdies and I figured I could come out there and to the same thing.
“If I can do the same stuff tomorrow, I should be good to go.”
Schauffele, who has lost in playoffs at the WGC-HSBC Champions and the Sony TOC this season, made the first of his six birdies on the opening hole, added another at No. 7 and collected four on the back nine to post a 54-hole score of 13-under 197.
Fourth-ranked Justin Thomas, Gary Woodland and Branden Grace of South Africa all posted 66s to tie for second with Collin Morikawa of La Canada Flintridge and Cal, who had a 67, and Jordan Spieth, the 2016 winner at Colonial who held the lead but didn’t make a birdie on the back nine in a 68.
“I’m happy with the control I have of my game,” said Woodland, who birdied the last two holes. “I’m driving the ball well, I was sharp with my iron game and felt really good with the putter. I just played solid.
“You have the get the ball in the fairways because the greens are soft and you can give yourself some birdie chances. I was able to do that.”
Said Thomas, who birdied the first two holes to kick-start his round: “It was kind of a weird day because I didn’t have my best stuff, but I did drive the ball well. Overall, I was not really sharp, so to finished at 4-under, I’ll take that.”
Harold Varner III, who had at least a share of the lead after each of the first two rounds, didn’t make a birdie after the first hole but salvaged a 70 and is two shots back in a tie for seventh with Daniel Berger, who had three birdies in a flawless back nine for a 67.
Top-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern totaled 69 and is three behind in a tie for ninth with seventh-ranked Patrick Reed, whose 63 was low score of the day, Abraham Ancer (66) of Mexico, Corey Conners (67) of Canada, Justin Rose (68) of England and Bryson DeChambeau (70) of Clovis.
Third-ranked Brooks Koepka shot 69 and is tied for 33rd.
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