Ben Griffin and Matti Schmid will take a share of the lead into Sunday’s final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. Both players made dazzling individual plays in their debuts on Saturday. The play from the duo has been consistent throughout the tournament, with the two sitting four strokes clear of the rest of the field.
On Saturday, Griffin and Schmid both kept up with the other, each carding a 2-under 68. Both players came out hot, making birdies on the first three holes and were well on their way to a combined 14-under par. Schmid’s highlight of the day came at the 461-yard par-5 third hole, where he drained a stunning long-range 40-foot putt for birdie. On the other hand, Griffin took advantage of the shorter looks, making three birdies from seven feet or closer.
Even with a great first impression, both players quickly struggled as the round (and their games) went on. Schmid encountered difficulties at the 637-yard par-5 11th hole when he drove into the right rough and subsequently landed in a bunker, leading to a bogey. Griffin took advantage of Schmid’s error with remarkable birdies at No. 12 and No. 13. That was a bold move, narrowing the gap and forcing his challenger to expend funds to defend himself.
As they head into the final round, both Griffin and Schmid are vying for their first individual titles on the PGA Tour. Just last month, Griffin was paired with Andrew Novak and won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Now he’s hellbent on winning as the individual player. Schmid is hungry to claim his first PGA Tour victory.
Rickie Fowler is still very much in the mix too, after registering an impressive 67 on Saturday. He’ll be paired with Griffin and Schmid in the final group on Sunday, making for an even deeper competition at Colonial.
Against the dramatic backdrop of this amazing final weekend, Scottie Scheffler really made the news by doing a complete 180 with his bounce-back performance. He began the day ten shots back of the leaders. With a brilliant 6-under 64, he rocketed up the leaderboard 7 under overall, cutting the deficit to only six shots from the lead. Robert MacIntyre and Lucas Glover were the only others to truly contend, both shooting a stellar 64. Their incredible rounds made the drama of this tournament that much deeper.
The last round promises to be a nail biting race to the finish! Griffin and Schmid are hellbent on repeating their performance, but they’ll face some serious competition from Fowler, Scheffler and the rest who want to take the trophy for themselves. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely as these talented golfers vie for glory on the storied grounds of Colonial.
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