WASHINGTON, Aug 21, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Defending champion Patrick Cantlay fired
a six under-par 65 to open up a one-shot lead at the PGA Tour's BMW
Championship in Delaware on Saturday.

Cantlay, bidding to become the first player in FedEx Cup post-season history
to successfully defend a tournament title, conjured six birdies and an eagle
at Wilmington Country Club for a 54-hole aggregate of 12-under 201.

The 30-year-old world number four started the day two shots adrift of second-
round leader Adam Scott but quickly halved that deficit on the opening hole,
rolling in a monster 43-foot birdie putt.

Birdies on the third and the seventh -- after another long birdie putt from
30 feet -- took Cantlay to the turn at three-under for the day.

A bogey on the par-four 11th briefly checked his progress but Cantlay
responded with back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th before a magnificent
eagle three on the 14th, the American holing out with a sublime lob wedge
from 104 yards.

That took Cantlay a shot clear of the field at 12 under but a rare putting
blunder on the 17th -- missing a three-footer for bogey -- dropped him back
to 11-under.

Yet once again, Cantlay responded in style, blasting his second shot on the
18th to the back of the green with sharp backspin that left him with just a
seven-footer for birdie.

"I hit the ball really well today," Cantlay said afterwards.

"Left a few out there but I think today was really about my bounce backs --
after the two bogeys I made which were mistakes, I made birdies on the next
two holes and got back into the round and kept the momentum to take into
tomorrow."

Cantlay said he was not thinking about possibly emulating his 2021 FedEx Cup
victory, when he won both the BMW and the Tour Championship.

- Zalatoris injury -

"My head is not even there right now," he said. "I think the best way to
handle this playoff system is to just focus on doing your best in the
tournament that you're in and not worry too much about the points. So that's
what I'm going to do."

Cantlay's 65 leaves him one clear of close friend Xander Schauffele, who
posted a five-under 66 on Saturday to finish the day on 202 alongside fellow
American Scott Stallings.

Schauffele's bogey-free round included an eagle, three birdies and 14 pars.

Stallings advanced up the leaderboard with a 66 that featured six birdies.

Australia's second-round leader Scott, meanwhile, is a shot further back on
10 under after battling to a two-under-par 69 that included four birdies and
two bogeys.

Scott was joined by world number one Scottie Scheffler, who had threatened to
challenge for the outright lead early in the round after four birdies and six
pars over the opening 10 holes.

Scheffler's round came unstuck though down the stretch, with back-to-back
bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes.

Scheffler recovered from that setback with a birdie on the 18th that left him
firmly in the hunt heading into Sunday's final round.

Collin Morikawa will also fancy his chances of making a final-day charge
after a 65 propelled him to nine under, three off the pace.

Morikawa pocketed seven birdies and only one bogey and shares sixth on the
leaderboard alongside Aaron Wise, who shot a 67.

But Saturday's third round marked the end of Will Zalatoris's challenge. The
in-form American, winner of last week's St. Jude Championship, withdrew from
the tournament after suffering a back injury on the third hole.