Memorial Tournament: Scottie Scheffler stretches lead despite triple-bogey in third round

Scottie Scheffler stretched his lead at the Memorial Tournament to four strokes, despite carding a triple-bogey in his third round.

Chasing his fifth win of the season, the world No 1 started the day with a three-stroke advantage which he still held on the ninth tee at Muirfield Village.

He walked off the green having seen his advantage vanish, courtesy of a drive out of bounds en route to a seven.

But three birdies on the back nine for a 71 re-established his cushion on 10-under 206, despite another dropped shot on the last – courtesy of his first three putt in 154 holes.

“Obviously I wish I could have 18 back, but overall I think I played pretty solid,” Scheffler said. “Just got a couple of bad breaks and it’s going to happen around this golf course.”

Adam Hadwin was his closest challenger for much of the day after eagling the par-five fifth, but a double-bogey on the 14th and another dropped shot on the last left the Canadian among a trio four strokes off the pace.

“I don’t know if I have a chance,” said Hadwin, who is searching for his first win in seven years. “You know, you give four shots to the best player in the world, it’s kind of difficult.”

American Collin Morikawa and Austria’s Sepp Straka joined Hadwin on six under after both carded bogey-free rounds of 68, two ahead of PGA champion Xander Schauffele and Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg.

Rory McIlroy is eight strokes off the pace after a third-round 73, one ahead of Ireland’s Shane Lowry, England’s Tommy Fleetwood and defending champion Viktor Hovland who saw his challenge unravel with four successive bogeys and a double-bogey on the back nine en route to a 77.

Watch coverage of Sunday’s final round at the Memorial Tournament from 4.30pm on Sky Sports Golf.

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