SCOTTIE Scheffler maintained and expanded his lead at his hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Saturday (Sunday, May 4, 2025, PH time).
While his dominance wasn’t as pronounced as in the first two rounds, Scheffler finished strong after sunset with a 5-under 66, reaching 23 under.
Scheffler now holds an eight-shot lead. The third round was delayed by a six-hour weather interruption on Friday, and about half the field, including 18 players who hadn’t even started, needed to complete their second rounds on Saturday.
Erik von Rooyen (65), Adam Schenk (65), and Ricky Castillo (67) are tied for second at 15 under, followed by Kurt Kitiyama (68) and Jhonattan Vegas (67) at 14 under.
Scheffler, who had set a Nelson record with a six-shot lead after 36 holes, recorded his first two bogeys of the tournament on Saturday. He was 2 under for the day through 13 holes, just one shot off the PGA Tour’s 36-hole scoring record of 124 (18 under) set by Justin Thomas.
However, Scheffler regained his form on the closing stretch. He birdied the short par-4 14th with a tap-in after driving the green, and then birdied the par-3 15th after putting his tee shot within four feet.
Despite darkness falling (the horn had sounded after Scheffler’s group teed off on 18), Scheffler, Castillo, and Sam Stevens finished their rounds. Scheffler reached the 18th green with his second shot from the rough, though he couldn’t see the ball land. He then two-putted from 31 feet.
Scheffler’s eight-shot lead is the largest 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour since Rory McIlroy led by the same margin en route to victory at the 2011 U.S. Open.
“I saw it take off the way I wanted it to,” Scheffler said of his approach on 18. “But after that, I couldn’t see that far. Really, I’d say the most challenging part was reading a green.”
Van Rooyen, who was in the rough near the 18th green in two, took four strokes to finish with a bogey, missing an opportunity to tie the day’s low round.
“The rough was quite thin, so I thought I could scoot the ball through it,” Van Rooyen said. “I didn’t the first time. Then it came out dead the second time as well. So I just got it wrong.”
Schenk, who also shot a 65, bogeyed the 15th, which slowed his momentum.
Stevens, who began the day in second place, had four bogeys in a five-hole stretch and is now among five players at 13 under. Antoine Rozner carded the day’s low round with a 63.
Jordan Spieth, another Dallas native and former University of Texas golfer, shot his second consecutive 67 and is at 10 under.
Scheffler is poised to become the first Dallas high school golfer to win the Nelson since Scott Verplank in 2007. He also has a chance to become only the third wire-to-wire winner in the tournament’s history, following Mark Hayes (1976) and Tom Watson (1980). / From the wires