Through three rounds of the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open, there's no golfer in the field looking more comfortable entering Sunday than No. 11-ranked Xander Schauffele. His stay at Renaissance Cub didn't start that way on Thursday, but consecutive days of dominance on the course now has Schauffele carrying a two-stroke lead over Rafa Cabrera Bello at 7 under into the final round.
Golf can be a game of streaks at times, and Schauffele hasn't let off the gas over the past two rounds. After posting a 2-over 72 on Thursday in the opening round, Schauffele rebounded by carding a 5-under 65 on Friday, the lowest round by any golfer in the field. It looked for much of Saturday that Schauffele would replicate that formula en route to eventually matching Jordan Spieth and Max Homa for the low round of the day with a 4-under 66.
And Schauffele was achingly close Saturday to turning in a scorecard lower than any of his competitors. Through 16 holes, Schauffele was bogey-free and carried a four-stroke edge before carding consecutive bogeys on the par-3 17th and par-4 18th to end his round. Nonetheless, it was quite the surge for Schauffele on a day in which he began four strokes back of 54-hole leader Cameron Tringale.
Schauffele now finds himself in excellent position to record victories in back-to-back starts as he holds the 54-hole lead at Renaissance Club. Schauffele emerged the winner two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship, and a Scottish Open win would put him alongside World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as the only players to win in consecutive starts this season and provide plenty of confidence entering the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews next week.
Here is the breakdown for the rest of the leaderboard at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open
T2. Rafa Cabrera Bello (-5): It looked at one point Saturday as if Cabrera Bello was the man to beat. He wasn't exactly on everyone's radar after a pedestrian 1-over 36 on the front nine, but that quickly changed with an eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie start on the back nine as he surged to the top of the leaderboard. Cabrera Bello cooled off, subsequently playing his final five holes at 1 over. But he's right in the mix, sitting just two strokes off the lead heading into Sunday.
T3. Jordan Spieth (-4): Spieth certainly had his theatrics Saturday as he moved himself into contention. The No. 12-ranked Spieth wasted no time in making things happen with two birdies through his first three holes, but it was the back nine where Spieth had shots that made all the difference. First came an eagle on the Par-5 10th, and then a second on the Par-4 15th when Spieth holed his second shot from 108 yards. It was a rollercoaster round at times, but Spieth now has a solid chance at picking up a win ahead of golf's final major of the season if he can put something special together on Sunday.
Greg DuCharme and Sia Nejad recap Saturday's action at the Scottish Open. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
T3. Ryan Palmer (-4): Overall, it was a clean scorecard for Palmer on Saturday, just a day removed from shooting a 2-over 72 in the second round. Palmer finished his third round with two birdies apiece on each nine en route to a 3-under 67. He was bogey-free on the day until his final hole, where he carded a bogey on the par-4 18th. Palmer's last PGA Tour win came in 2019 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but 2010 was the last time Palmer won a stroke-play event on tour.
T3. Jordan Smith (-4): Slow and steady sometimes wins the race, and that formula has worked for Smith thus far while reaching Sunday in contention. Smith carded a 1-under 69 for the second straight day Saturday, that coming after a 2-under 68 in the opening round on Thursday. Smith found some momentum late in the third round, enjoying a stretch of three birdies in four holes, starting on the par-3 14th before bogeying the par-4 18th. The 29-year-old Englishman is vying for the seventh win of his professional career.