World No.1 Scottie Scheffler’s impressive finish at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow has significantly impacted Adam Scott’s chances of securing a second major championship title. Scheffler managed to separate himself from the competition by playing the final five holes in 5-under par, giving him an 11-under total and a three-stroke lead over Swede Alex Noren as they head into Sunday.
Adam Scott, who was four strokes off the lead after signing for a 2-under 69, is now seven shots behind Scheffler and tied for 13th place. Despite this setback, Scott remains optimistic about his position on the leaderboard. “That’s a good position for me,” said Scott when informed he was four strokes back at the end of his round. “That’s better than where I’ve been any time lately.”
Scott acknowledged the challenges he faced on the greens throughout the week but expressed confidence in his overall game performance. “I feel like I’ve played solid all week; it’s been hard work on the greens,” he stated. He also noted that managing emotions has been crucial: “It just knocks the confidence around a little bit and it’s those emotions I’m trying to manage the best I can out there.”
A notable moment in Scott’s round was a three-putt from outside 50 feet at the par-3 sixth hole, which was his only dropped shot on Saturday. However, he successfully executed all five up-and-downs when missing greens, including three sand saves.
Kiwi Ryan Fox will start Sunday’s final round tied for 17th alongside Australian Cam Davis after making up ground with four shots over three holes on Saturday’s back nine. Fox had previously tied for seventh through 36 holes but struggled with six bogeys against five birdies in his round of 1-over 72.
Elvis Smylie experienced difficulties during his first weekend play in a major tournament, finishing with a back nine of 5-over 40 and an overall score of 6-over 77.
