Scottie Scheffler will return to world No. 1 if he finishes in the top five at TPC Sawgrass after Jon Rahm retires; Scheffler leads Min Woo Lee by two moves heading into the final round – watch live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Sundays
Last update: 23/03/12 00:54
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Nick Dougherty and Rich Beem take a look at the best of leader Scottie Scheffler’s third round at The Players Championship
Nick Dougherty and Rich Beem take a look at the best of leader Scottie Scheffler’s third round at The Players Championship
Scottie Scheffler says winning The Players is more important to him than regaining the world No. 1 spot as he heads into the final round at TPC Sawgrass with a two-stroke lead.
The world No. 2 will review Jon Rahm if he finishes in the top five at Ponte Vedra Beach on Sunday, with Rahm pulling out of The Players ahead of his second round due to a stomach virus.
Scheffler is at 14 under after 54 holes, with Min Woo Lee his closest challenger on 12 under and England trio Tommy Fleetwood (nine under), Aaron Rai (nine under) and Justin Rose (seven under) also in the running to become the first player from their country to win the tournament.
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Scheffler punched a stunning holeshot from the rough early in his third round
Scheffler said: “I think the ranking is just an algorithm. I would much rather win the tournament than go back to world No. 1.
“My goal is to get out there and have a good game of golf and the ranking will be the ranking.”
Scheffler: Hard work pays off
Scheffler is targeting a second win in 2023 after successfully defending the WM Phoenix Open last month, while a win in Florida on Sunday would net the 2022 Masters champion his sixth in just over a year.
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He added: “I’m preparing to be in those moments. I’m preparing to come here and play well.
“When I’m at home preparing for tournaments, I hope I’m going to be in that position, and I’ve been lucky so far this year that the hard work continues to pay off.
“I’ve been in a lot of leaderboards and it’s a lot more fun to be in the lead than to be 20th. It’s a lot more fun to be in the arena and to be in the moment.”
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Tommy Fleetwood is looking to become the first English winner of The Players
Fleetwood: ‘Incredible’ to be nominated for The Players
Fleetwood is still looking for its first PGA Tour win after six on the DP World Tour.
When asked if it added any extra motivation, the Englishman replied: “No, not really. It’s been a goal, a dream, a motivation since I’ve been playing here.
“I wish I had done it now. I wish I had done it many times. But I didn’t. Sunday is another chance.
“I think it will be great to go play on Sunday with a chance to win The Players. It’s an incredible feeling.
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England’s Aaron Rai won 17th at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday
“But what’s important for me is to play like the player I want to be, and to be at that level with the best players in the world, to keep giving me more and more chances.
“I didn’t compete enough at the start of this year, so now is the best time to start. The more I can play the way I want to play, the more chances I give myself and hopefully my time will come. .”
Rose: Pebble Beach win relieved pressure
Rose is two strokes behind compatriot Fleetwood after a bogey on the 18th on Saturday.
The 42-year-old is looking to add to the AT&T Pebble Beach ProAm title he clinched last month, which was his first win since 2019.
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Justin Rose says he almost had a ‘special’ third round at The Players
Rose said: “Obviously I’ve tasted a lot of success on the PGA Tour and the last two seasons haven’t been that easy.
“The results haven’t been kind, so you’re scratching your head sometimes. I think that can lead to a bit of frustration.
“Hopefully the win took a little valve off the pressure cooker. You can go a little lower there, play a little more freely.
“When you’re sure you’re in the leaderboard week after week, you play in a slightly different way.”
Watch the final round of The Players live on Sky Sports Golf from 2 p.m. on Sunday.
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