Cromwell (Connecticut), June 28 (IANS) Akshay Bhatia kept his hopes of a second PGA Tour title of the season alive by remaining in the leading group after three rounds of the Travelers Championship, ensuring that the Indian-origin star will begin Sunday’s final round with a realistic chance of lifting another trophy.

Bhatia, backed by Hero, followed his spectacular second-round 62 with a composed three-under 67 to move to 15-under-par 195, leaving him tied for third at TPC River Highlands. Although five shots behind Norway’s Viktor Hovland, the 23-year-old has already shown this week that low scores are possible on one of the Tour’s most birdie-friendly layouts.

Hovland surged into the lead at 20-under after a six-under 64, edging world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by a single stroke in what promises to be an exciting final-day showdown. Bhatia shares third place with Patrick Cantlay, while a group of contenders, including reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, remain within touching distance.

For Bhatia, Saturday demanded discipline rather than brilliance. After dazzling the field with nine birdies during Friday’s 62, he produced another solid display, picking up four birdies on the outward nine before a mixed back nine featuring one more birdie and two bogeys resulted in a 67. The steady round ensured he stayed firmly in contention despite Hovland and Scheffler setting the pace.

The American of Indian origin has already enjoyed a memorable season, highlighted by victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Another strong finish this week would further cement his status among the PGA Tour’s elite and strengthen an already impressive campaign.

Among the other Indian-origin players, Aaron Rai continued his consistent run with a three-under 67 to climb to 10-under and a share of 22nd place. Rai’s remarkable consistency has been one of the stories of the tournament, as he remains the only player in the field yet to card a bogey through 54 holes.

Hero-backed Sahith Theegala, meanwhile, continued his recovery after an opening-round 74. A second successive 67 lifted him to two-under overall and tied 62nd, though he remains well down the leaderboard.

The battle for the title intensified throughout the third round as Hovland and Scheffler traded blows over much of the day.

Starting two strokes behind Scheffler, Hovland wasted little time erasing the deficit by birdieing three of his first four holes. The pair remained locked together for most of the round before Scheffler briefly reclaimed the outright lead with a brilliant wedge approach to within two feet at the 14th.

The decisive moment came on the closing hole. Hovland calmly holed a six-foot birdie putt to finish with a 64 and reach 20-under-par 190. Moments later, Scheffler suffered his only blemish of the day, three-putting from the fringe for a bogey that left him at 19-under after a 67.

Cantlay also strengthened his challenge with a flawless six-under 64 to join Bhatia at 15-under. The eight-time PGA Tour winner boasts an outstanding record at TPC River Highlands, having now registered eight consecutive finishes of tied-15th or better at the Travelers Championship.

Five players sit another two strokes back at 13-under, keeping the championship wide open entering the final day.

Hovland will be seeking his eighth PGA Tour title and first Travelers Championship victory. His record when leading after 54 holes is encouraging, having converted four of his previous five such opportunities into victories.

Scheffler, however, remains a formidable threat. The world No. 1 is chasing his second title of the season and knows one more low round could be enough to overhaul the Norwegian.

Bhatia, though, cannot be discounted. His scintillating second-round 62 demonstrated his ability to go exceptionally low, and on a course where birdies often come in clusters.

–IANS

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