CASTLE ROCK, Colorado – Castle Pines Golf Club was the big star for three rounds as it hosts the PGA Tour for the first time since 2006.
“If you owned both Heaven and Castle Pines, you would rent Heaven and live in Castle Pines,” Rick Reilly once wrote.
From the mountain views to the milkshakes in the locker room, Castle Pines was a hit this week. But mild conditions on Friday allowed for two 63s. That wasn’t the case on Saturday, as winds gusted from the southwest at up to 25 mph.
“It kind of caught my attention,” Alex Noren said.
“It was insidiously difficult,” said Ludvig Aberg. “The wind was treacherous.”
On the NBC broadcast, Jim “Bones” Mackay, who caddied here at the International in the 1990s until the course ended as a regular tour stop in 2006, said of the first nine holes: “I’ve never caddied in conditions as tough as those guys with the wind.”
The course dried out and a possible late afternoon thunderstorm missed the area on Saturday, meaning the course could be even more difficult to play for the final round on Sunday. As one observer put it, “It could be tasty.”
Here are five things you should know about the third round of the BMW Championship.
Bradley leads with 1
Keegan Bradley was the last man in the field at the 50-man BMW Championship, but he will go into the final round with a one-shot lead after making a birdie on 18 to finish at 12-under 204.
It was a rollercoaster ride for Bradley, who made eight birdies and six bogeys to sign at Castle Pines with a 2-under 70. He led by three points after making his third consecutive birdie on hole 7. But the 2018 BMW champion made three straight bogeys starting on hole 11. He turned things around and made birdies on four of the final five holes, including his second shot from 18-8 feet. He clenched his fist as he sank the putt, egging the crowd on to chant “USA” even louder for the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain.
“I’m proud of how I fought today,” Bradley said. “I played some brilliant golf, but I also hit some terrible shots. I guess that’s life.”
Scott is weakening
Adam Scott began the day with a three-shot lead until he hit his first drive out of bounds, which, as one observer noted, is a bit like denting a new car in the parking lot. Things only got worse from there. Scott made double bogey on hole 3 and was 4 over par after four holes.
“I felt like I made that my big win, and I didn’t feel like I did that much wrong. A couple of drives just weren’t quite right, and a three-putt, and all of a sudden I’m kind of chasing,” he said.
He caught up and made three birdies on the back nine, but missed again on the par-5 14th hole.th that resulted in a bogey. He signed for a 2-over 74, which was 11 strokes better than the day before.
“It almost felt like I was on a different course and I struggled with that for most of the round,” he said.
Scott went to the practice putting green after the round to get used to the speed of the green and is now just one stroke back as he seeks his 15th Tour title and first in more than four years.
“Look, I love my position,” he said. “I feel a little bit like yesterday again, playing with the house money and being in the thick of this golf tournament. I also don’t know how many times I’ve been in the running this year until Sunday, so I’m excited.”
Aberg’s bloody nose
The altitude took its toll on Ludvig Aberg on Saturday when his nose started bleeding on the first hole. But that didn’t stop him from making birdies. He recorded four circles and an eagle during a rollercoaster 1-under 71 round. After the nosebleed, Aberg holed a 53-foot putt from outside the green and made three birdies in his first five holes, building a three-shot lead. But that lead didn’t last long as he made two bogeys in a row on holes 6 and 7.
Aberg is aiming for his first win this year and is also trying to become the first player since 2006 to win the BMW in his first tournament start.
“Those are the situations we like to be in,” Aberg said. “We want to be close to the lead on the last few holes. If we can do that and continue to play aggressively, I think we’ll do well.”
Schauffele and Clark’s attack on Saturday
Xander Schauffele is a fighter. He proved that again on Saturday. He began the third round eleven strokes behind and made a double bogey on hole 3 when his approach shot landed in the water in front of the green.
“I was kind of posing and it was a little embarrassing when the thing hit the wall and went into the water 20 meters away,” he said.
After a bogey on hole 6, where he hit a flag, he fell back to par. “I felt like I had to dig deep into my little thread of patience, which is almost empty on a Saturday this late in the year,” he said.
But Schauffele didn’t give up. He made three straight birdies to finish the first nine holes. He nearly hit his tee shot on the 192-yard par-3 to set up a tap-in birdie and added three more to shoot 67 and move to within five shots of the lead and T-5. If he wins on Sunday, he would jump to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup as long as Scottie Scheffler finishes worse than T-3. (Scheffler is currently T-35.)
Wyndham Clark is the local favorite and had Boston Celtics star Derrick White in his gallery every day.
“From third grade through high school, we played basketball against each other and you would almost never have thought that he was at the highest level and I was at the highest level in my sport. And two kids from Colorado – that doesn’t happen very often,” Clark said.
The 2023 US Open champion catapulted into contention with a 5-under-par 67 to sit T-5. He made a 17-foot eagle putt on 17 and fans roared with joy. Clark said it was time.
“Everyone hits the par 5 except me,” he said.
With only four golfers ahead of him, Clark is just one round away from winning the event in his hometown.
“My goal, my caddie and I, we just wanted to be in the race,” Clark said. “Regardless of what happens tomorrow, at least I’ve been on the ball this week and I’ve dealt with a lot of adversity that comes with dealing with a hometown kid, the pressure. Plus, I haven’t had a great start in tournaments and I just feel like I’ve overcome a lot of good things. Regardless of what happens, at least I have good momentum going into next week.”
Short recordings
Adam Scott wasn’t the only one to overcome a slow start. Alex Noren was 3 over par after four holes but finished with three straight birdies, including a 36-foot bomb on 18, to reach 2 under par and a 70. He is 10 under par and T-3, seeking his first Tour title in his 183rd round.rd Starting a career.
“I am overjoyed and proud of myself for not giving up,” he said.
World number one Scottie Scheffler shot 2 over par (74) on Saturday. It was his first over par round since the last round of the British Open. He is T-35 and 1 over par overall. The last time he shot over par in a tournament was at the US Open in June. Unless Xander Schauffele wins the BMW, Scheffler will hold the lead in the FedEx Cup, which is heading to East Lake for the third year in a row.
Sahith Theegala shot 79 on Saturday but should still be able to defend the sixth and final automatic spot in the US Presidents Cup. The top six will be determined after the BMW Championship on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: 5 things to know about the 2024 BMW Championship, including Keegan Bradley at the top and several stars still lurking
