Ben Griffin, tuning up for his Ryder Cup debut, carded a two-under 70 on Saturday to retain a one-shot lead at the PGA Tour Procore Championship, with Jackson Koivun, Scottie Scheffler and SA’s Garrick Higgo in close pursuit.
Griffin, a two-time winner this season and a US captain’s pick, began the day with a three-shot advantage and finished with a 54-hole total of 16-under 200 at Silverado Resort in Napa, California.
World amateur No 1 Koivun sits one stroke back after a sparkling run highlighted by a 43-foot eagle at the 12th, while Scheffler surged into contention with a blistering eight-under 64 for a 14-under total of 202 – one clear of South Africa’s Garrick Higgo, who fired a 66.
“Every player on this Tour is really good and there are two very, very good ones right behind me,” Griffin said. “I’ve got to keep the pedal down, stay aggressive, and hopefully make a few more putts.”
Griffin drained long birdie putts at the 4th and 9th and briefly stretched his lead to five before giving one back with a bogey at the par-five 18th.
Koivun recovered from early bogeys at the 3rd and 4th with birdies at the 8th and 11th, then eagled the 12th before adding birdies at 14 and 15. A week after helping the United States win the Walker Cup, the 20-year-old will tee it up in Sunday’s final group.
Scheffler, chasing a sixth title of 2025, caught fire early with three straight birdies from the 3rd. He rolled in six more on the back nine, including at the par-five 18th, offsetting a costly double-bogey at the par-four 14th.
“I had a good day today, better than the last two,” Scheffler said. “Other than the hiccup on 14, I played really solid golf.”
Scheffler, who has already claimed two Majors this season, will lead the US side at the Ryder Cup later this month at Bethpage Black, where captain Keegan Bradley’s team will aim to reclaim the trophy lost to Europe two years ago.
<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
Article Link: Griffin maintains PGA Procore lead, Higgo three back