Defending FedEx champion Patrick Cantlay shot a six-under-par 65 on Saturday to leap to the top of the leaderboard and carry a one-shot lead into the final round at the BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware.
Cantlay, sharing the best score of the day with three others, sits at 12-under 201 after 54 holes.
Scott Stallings and Xander Schauffele are tied for second one-shot back after matching 66s in the third round. Scottie Scheffler (68) and second-round leader Adam Scott (69) are tied for fourth at 10 under, two shots back.
Aaron Wise (67) and Collin Morikawa are tied for sixth, three shots back. Morikawa also fired a 65 to vault himself into contention on moving day.
A three-put bogey on the 18th left a bad taste in Rory McIlroy’s mouth after he fought back from turning in two-over 37 to get to two under for his round with four birdies in six holes on the back nine.
McIlroy’s on-under 71 leaves him five shots adrift of Cantlay on seven under as he looks to improve his position ahead of the Tour Championship next weekend.
Shane Lowry kept alive his chances of making the top 30 that travel on to Atlanta as he rescued a level-par round after turning in three-over 38, with three birdies on his back nine. That left the Offalyman on five under going into the final round, and presently in a projected 34th position on the FedEx standings.
A double-bogey on the 18th capped a poor day for Séamus Power, who saw his playoff hopes fade after carding a six-over 77. The Waterford golfer also carded four bogeys in a back nine of 42 as he slipped back to a projected 44th in the standings.
Cantlay carded three birdies going out before things got interesting on the back nine. In four successive holes, he went bogey-birdie-birdie-eagle before ending his round bogey-birdie. Cantlay was a missed three-foot putt away from carding a 64, instead getting a bogey on the 17th.
“The greens are a little beat up and it probably wasn't a good stroke, so I'll go take care of that after the round, practice little bit," Cantlay said. “It's very unlike me, and things like that happen."
Cantlay hit a lob wedge 107 yards into the 14th green to set up his eagle.
“I don't know the golf course too well," Cantlay said. “Obviously it's my first time here, so I've been on my wedge shots walking up to the green to see exactly where I wanted to land it, and landed it in basically the perfect spot."
Cantlay seeks to become the first player to successfully defend a FedExCup Playoffs event.
Stallings followed up his pair of 68s in the first two rounds with six birdies against just one bogey. Stallings is attempting to reach the season-finale Tour Championship for the first time in his 12-year career.
“That was my number one goal to start the year,” Stallings said of making it to East Lake next week.
“I’ve done a lot of good things to get to this point, and the way I handled myself today in the situation of all the stuff we’re dealing with ... I feel like I handled myself. I don’t have anything to prove,” Stallings said.
Schauffele opened with a birdie and carded an eagle on the third hole. He would birdie two more and post a clean round. A win would mark Schauffele's fourth tour title in his last 10 starts.
“As important as it is to win events, it’s really putting yourself in position to give yourself a really good chance next week,” Schauffele said. “I’d be the first one to tell you if you’re not in prime position, you’re just not going to win next week. I’ve kind of been around that. One day at a time.”
Spain’s Jon Rahm and Brendan Steele also shot 65 on Saturday. Both are tied for 18th at five under for the tournament.
FedExCup leader Will Zalatoris withdrew during the round with a back injury.
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