Scottie Scheffler defies triple bogey to stretch Memorial lead

Scottie Scheffler stretched his lead at the Memorial Tournament to four strokes, despite carding a triple bogey in his third round.

Chasing his fifth win of the season, the world number one started the day with a three-stroke lead which he still held on the ninth tee at Muirfield Village.

He walked off the green having seen his advantage vanish, courtesy of a drive out of bounds en route to a seven.

But three birdies on the back nine for a 71 re-established his cushion on 10-under-par, despite another dropped shot on the last – courtesy of his first three putt in 154 holes.

“Obviously I wish I could have 18 back, but overall I think I played pretty solid,” he said. “Just got a couple bad breaks and it’s going to happen around this golf course.”

Adam Hadwin was his closest challenger for much of the day after eagling the par five fifth, but a double bogey on the 14th and another dropped shot on the last left him among a trio four strokes off the pace.

“I don’t know if I have a chance tomorrow,” said Hadwin, searching for his win in seven years. “You know, you give four shots to the best player in the world, it’s kind of difficult.”

American Collin Morikawa and Austria’s Sepp Straka joined the Canadian on six-under-par after both carded bogey-free rounds of 68, two ahead of US PGA champion Xander Schauffele and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.

Rory McIlroy is eight strokes off the pace after a third round 73, one ahead of Ireland’s Shane Lowry after a round of 68, England’s Tommy Fleetwood and defending champion Viktor Hovland who saw his challenge unravel with four successive bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine en route to a 77.