Former Texas Longhorns golfer Scottie Scheffler has vaulted into serious contention at The Memorial after Jon Rahm’s positive COVID-19 test forced him to withdraw from the tournament.
Rahm was up six shots on the field when PGA Tour officials informed Rahm at the end of this round that he had tested positive and would have to withdraw.
It’s an enormous change in the dynamic of the tournament, which ends tomorrow in Dublin, Ohio. Rahm had dominated the field for three days, with rounds of 69, 65, and 64. With a six-shot lead he seemed poised to win his second straight Memorial, the tournament founded by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.
Now, it’s a wide-open race, and Scheffler has a chance to win his first PGA Tour event.
Scheffler is now in a tie for third place at 9-under after shooting a 3-under 69 on Saturday. After a solid front nine, during which Scheffler birdied Nos. 5 and 7, he had a roller coaster back nine.
He started with a bogey on No. 10. He followed that with a scintillating stretch of golf, during which he birdied four out of five holes, including consecutive birdies on Nos. 13, 14, and 15. That included lagging a 50-foot eagle putt on the Par-5 15th, which led to that birdie.
If Scheffler could have held it together, he might have been just one shot off the lead. But he recorded a double-bogey on No. 16, a par-3. Scheffler put his tee shot in the water, and he had to scramble for the double bogey after putting his third shot in the intermediate rough.
Scheffler enters Sunday’s final round tied with Branden Grace at 9-under. Grace has won twice on the PGA Tour.
Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay now lead the event at 12-under. Morikawa won the PGA Championship in 2020, while Cantlay won the Memorial in 2019.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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