Atlanta [US], August 31 (ANI): Akshay Bhatia dropped two of his three bogeys late on the back nine and dropped to tied 22nd out of 29 players at the end of the third round of the TOUR Championship. Placed T-11 after the second round, Bhatia's 1-over 71 saw him take his total to 5-under following rounds of 65-69 and 71.
Bhatia dropped a shot on the fifth, which he got back on the 12th, but back-to-back bogeys on the 14th and the 15th saw him fall back again despite a birdie on the 17th.
There is one more round to go, but Bhatia, by virtue of having qualified for the TOUR Championship, is assured of all four Majors next season.
Viktor Hovland made four birdie putts in his last six consecutive putts of seven feet or longer for a 5-under 65. He took a one-shot lead in a season finale very much up for grabs.
Hovland rolled in a pair of 8-foot birdie putts at the end to put him at 15-under 195, one shot ahead of TOUR Championship newcomer Ryan Gerard, who played bogey-free for a 66.
Scottie Scheffler (66) and Chris Gotterup (67), who have combined for five PGA TOUR titles this year, were three shots behind at 12-under 198. They were joined by sentimental favourites, 46-year-old Adam Scott and Ludvig Aberg. Both shot 65 in search of their first win this year.
Also in the mix was Rory McIlroy, who had two bogeys, settled for par on the par-5 18th hole and still shot 63 to get within five shots. He was joined by Cameron Young, whose double bogey on the 10th hole set him back in a round of 68.
At stake on the final day is USD 10 million to the winner, the largest official payoff in golf for a single tournament, and the FedExCup title that comes with a five-year exemption on the PGA TOUR.
Hovland won the FedExCup in 2023 when he steamrolled through a three-tournament postseason and won the last two. This might not feel the same if he were to win on Sunday, though the Norwegian would happily leave town with two trophies.
Hovland was at his best on the greens coming down the stretch - 11 feet for a birdie on the 13th, 18 feet to save par on the 14th, 11 feet for a birdie on the peninsula green on the 15th, a 7-foot par putt on the 16th and his closing birdies.
Gerard scrambled well, especially on the back nine, birdied both par 5s and stayed in the game for a chance at his first win this year, and possibly an easy decision to be a pick for the Presidents Cup.
That's what McIlroy did, starting out seven shots behind with little to lose. He figured he would need another round like 63 to even contemplate a fourth FedExCup title.
He has been around for all the iterations of resetting points and starting strokes into the season finale. What he can't recall is a traffic jam at the top or last place being at 3-under par.
Scheffler also played bogey-free and rued not taking advantage of a few more birdie chances in the 8- to 12-foot range. But he's right in the mix as he closes out a season of astonishing consistency that leaves him on the cusp of replacing Tiger Woods on the career money list.
In the middle of the congestion was Scott, who has a chance to win for the first time since 2020. (ANI)
Akshay Bhatia slips to 22nd as Hovland takes lead at TOUR Championship
