McKINNEY, Texas — Scottie Scheffler is wanting up on the leaderboard on the AT&T Byron Nelson at a few contemporaries with out practically the résumé the Dallas resident has constructed over the previous 15 months.
In reality, Austin Eckroat and China’s Marty Dou are searching for a primary PGA Tour victory.
The Oklahoma-raised Eckroat shot an 8-under 63, 1 shot higher than Dou, and the pair shared a 2-shot lead with Texan Ryan Palmer at 16 underneath after the third spherical of the Nelson on Saturday.
Scheffler was within the group at 14 underneath after the hometown favourite faltered with a bogey on the par-5 18th when his second shot hit the lip of a fairway bunker and stayed in it.
Palmer had an eagle putt for the outright lead on 18, however the 35-footer stopped simply brief, leaving him at 68. Scheffler shot even-par 71 after the very best two-round begin to his profession with a pair of 64s.
Dou, who lives within the Dallas space and is on his dwelling course at TPC Craig Ranch, is identical age because the 26-year-old Scheffler. Eckroat is simply two years youthful and says he performed loads of golf “from all ages” with the previous Texas Longhorn.
They may as nicely be years aside on pedigree.
Scheffler has the 2022 Masters title amongst six profession victories — all since February of final 12 months — and is aware of he will probably be within the subject for the PGA Championship subsequent week at Oak Hill.
Eckroat would recognize the spot within the subject at Oak Hill {that a} win on the Nelson would earn him. The previous Oklahoma State participant has a lot at stake regardless.
“Plenty of job safety,” Eckroat stated. “Plenty of issues include profitable a PGA Tour occasion, and simply hoping to get that carried out.”
Dou, who settled within the Dallas space about 5 years in the past so he may pursue a profession in golf, would not even wish to take into consideration what a victory would imply in his dwelling nation.
“It’ll be huge for positive,” stated Dou, a three-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour. “There’s a complete lot extra golf to play, so I am in good within the place like this, creating extra possibilities, and that is all I am considering.”
Vincent Norrman of Sweden shot 65 and was at 14 underneath with Scheffler, Jason Day (66) and Si Woo Kim (68). There have been 25 gamers inside 5 photographs of the lead.
Tyrrell Hatton, at No. 17 the second-highest ranked participant within the subject behind No. 2 Scheffler, shot 65 and was 13 underneath alongside Patton Kizzire (64), Sung Kang (66) and Richy Werenski (68).
Eckroat had only one par on the entrance 9, answering a double bogey on the par-3 seventh along with his sixth and seventh birdies earlier than the flip. The again 9 was far more routine — six pars and three birdies.
“It simply did not actually faze me prefer it usually would,” Eckroat stated. “Actually pleased how I dealt with that.”
Dou opened with a 63 that was overshadowed by a course record-tying 60 from South Korean S.Y. Noh, who had a second consecutive over-par spherical of 73 to fall out of competition.
After a 1-under 70 left him 5 photographs behind Scheffler via two rounds, Dou quietly crept up the leaderboard earlier than a 28-foot birdie putt on No. 16 put him in a tie for the lead.
Dou will not have to fret in regards to the giant crowds following Scheffler, whose late flub stored him out of the ultimate group. However he’s a 54-hole chief for the primary time.
“I feel nerves is identical factor as me enjoying on the Korn Ferry,” Dou stated. “You get into it and you are going to be nervous it doesn’t matter what.”
Scheffler may have taken a 2-shot lead on the par-4 twelfth however missed a brief birdie putt on the second-toughest gap, which was transformed after enjoying as a par-5 within the Nelson’s first two years at TPC Craig Ranch.
He missed two extra first rate possibilities at birdie on the again 9 earlier than the difficulty on 18, when he additionally missed the inexperienced on a straightforward strategy shot after lastly getting out of the bunker.
“I simply thinned it,” Scheffler stated of the primary bunker shot. “I wasn’t even fascinated about the lip. I simply hit a horrible shot.”
Palmer, a four-time winner on tour with no solo victory in 13 years, had a shaky begin to the again 9 earlier than ending with three birdies in 5 holes, capped by the tap-in at 18.
“It was a affected person day,” stated the 46-year-old Palmer, who grew up in West Texas however lives within the Dallas space. “I knew I used to be going to be 1 or 2 again, worst case. It’ll be good to be within the closing group once more, and we’ll give it our all.”
Two-time defending champion Ok.H. Lee shot a second consecutive 68 and was 7 underneath. The final participant to win a PGA Tour occasion three consecutive instances was Steve Stricker on the John Deere Traditional from 2009 to ’11.
