How many times does Scottie Scheffler (-16) leave it for birdie within six meters and on many occasions barely reaches four? Beyond what the general statistics say, that is the feeling that is usually had when watching the Texan play: it is rare that he is not putting for birdie from a medium distance. That is also, of course, the feeling he has left on the third day of the Hero World Challenge, in which he has signed a card of 65 strokes that keeps him in the lead, with a comfortable three-stroke advantage over his immediate pursuer, Matt Fitzpatrick (-13) facing the final round.
The greens of the Albany Golf Club, in the Bahamas, are not for many jokes, increasingly firm. However, on thirteen occasions, thirteen, which is said soon, Scheffler has putted for birdie or for eagle in this third round. Very usual numbers for this player throughout the last two years, practically. Therefore, when his putter heats up, he usually becomes an simply unapproachable player. And that is also what has happened in the Bahamas: he still left two good birdie options of about two and a half meters on the 11th and 17th holes, but in return he plugged up to five putts from distances ranging from four to four and a half meters. Devastating. Overwhelming.
This man does not need to reach this percentage of success. Just by improving his numbers on the greens a bit, he can take his World Number One to a number of weeks that is lost on the horizon. That without starting to think about the huge amount of tournaments he could win in a year, for example, in 2024. We will see if his exhibition this Saturday at the medium distance of the greens has to do with that work he has been doing with Phil Kenyon, one of the great gurus of the putter, and therefore has some continuity over time, because if so the others can start to tremble.
A solitary bogey on the 18th of the Texan has still given a respite to the rest, thinking about the Sunday round, although Scheffler’s stretch really leaves the list of aspirants skinny. Fitpatrick, as was said, will start three strokes, but Justin Thomas (-11), third, will do it five and then comes a large group that will start six, all with a cumulative of -10: Day, Finau, Morikawa and Spieth. The analysis is simple: everyone is in Scheffler’s hands, because if he works reasonably well he will take most of them off the radar.
Tiger Woods (PAR) is not yet ready to go out on Sunday with real chances of victory. His, for now, is another story that is not going too badly. Today he has played again under par (round of 71 strokes), although he has been seen somewhat erratic, especially with the shots to green in the last third of the round. However, the most important thing for him is the more than notable physical sensations he is feeling, now that 54 holes have already been played, since his battered right foot, within the severe mobility limitations he suffers, is resisting moderately well. Or in other words: the Cypress man commented after signing the card that his body is recovering well from the efforts, relying on the meticulous activation and recovery exercise he performs after playing and also in the hours before doing so, and that not only focus on the foot, but in general on his entire body (back, neck, legs…). It will be a question of seeing, among other things, if he is able to finish the tournament on the rise, who knows, maybe even with a card under seventy strokes that puts a great end to his reunion with the competition.
