CROMWELL, Conn. — Tommy Fleetwood was so locked in on good golf he didn’t realize until after his 7-under-par 63 that he didn’t miss a fairway during the third round of the Travelers Championship.
He certainly wasn’t aware of the stunning blowups behind him by top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and two-time major winner Justin Thomas.
All three started a steamy, hot Saturday tied for the lead, but not for long.
Scheffler, the PGA Championship winner last month for the third major title of his career, celebrated his 29th birthday by starting a round with a triple bogey for the first time in his PGA Tour career. All it took was missing the fairway into thick rough, airmailing the green from a front bunker, two chips and two putts.
He never quite recovered, posted a 72 for only his fifth score over par in 55 rounds this year, and was nine shots behind, tied with five other players — including second-ranked Rory McIlroy, this year’s Masters champion — in eighth place.