Akshay Bhatia lies sixth in St Jude Championship

MEMPHIS: Akshay Bhatia fired a modest even par 70 to be tied sixth and five off the lead after three days at the St Jude Championship. Bhatia, 22, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, now has rounds of 62-69-70 and is 9-under and still in the picture for a good finish in the first of three Play-off events.

Bhatia, who set the course alight with a 62 on the first day, had two birdies and two bogeys on the third day, as Tommy Fleetwood survived some hiccups on the way to a 1-under 69 but stayed in sole lead at 14-under. Fleetwood, looking for his first win on the PGA TOUR, now has rounds of 63-64-69.

Fleetwood leads veteran Justin Rose (64-66-67) a 13-under by one shot as Scottie Scheffler (67-66-65) lurks close behind at 12-under in third place, a release said.

Indo-British Aaron Rai (70-69-68) is T-30 as he tries to move into the Top-50 from 55th to make the next Play-offs event.

Bhatia birdied the second and the 17th but gave away shots on the seventh and the 18th had a three-shot swing go against him early and a two-shot swing cost him on the final hole Saturday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He did enough right in between for a 1-under 69 and a one-shot lead over Justin Rose as he goes for his first PGA TOUR title. If that wasn’t enough, Scottie Scheffler had a huge presence only two shots back.

Still, those two holes were a reminder to Fleetwood that 18 holes can feel a long way off at the TPC Southwind. There figures to be plenty of pressure at the top and scattered among the rest of the field trying to advance in the FedExCup Playoffs.

Fleetwood started the third round with a three-shot lead over Rose, who had to finish his storm-delayed second round in the morning.

On the par-5 third, Fleetwood’s second shot came up short and into the water. He took his penalty drop and then hit wedge over the green into a bunker. Fleetwood said he noticed his golf ball move ever so slightly on his swing with the wedge.

Rules officials could not determine if it did because it was so slight and Fleetwood didn’t cause it. So no penalty was issued. He made a double bogey, and Rose ran off three straight birdies to take the lead.

Fleetwood rebounded to build back he lead to three shots but on the 18th hole, he drove into the rough, couldn’t reach the green and made bogey to finish at 14-under 196.

Rose had four birdies between the third and the seventh and then at the end had two each of bridies and bogeys in the last five in his 67, the release said.

Scheffler put together six birdies in his round of 65 and was two shots behind. He made his lone bogey on the 10th.

Scheffler is going for his fifth win of the year. He has not finished in the top 10 since March.

US Open champion J.J. Spaun (65) and Andrew Novak (67) were three shots behind.

After this week, the top 50 in the FedExCup advance to the second playoff event at the BMW Championship and are assured of playing all the USD 20 million Signature Events next year. (ANI)