FLOURTOWN, Pa. — Sepp Straka is trying to develop into the second multiple-event winner of the PGA Tour season. Shane Lowry is looking for his first particular person title since 2019.
Straka shot a 4-under 66 and Lowry had a 67 in blustery situations Saturday to share the lead heading into the ultimate spherical on the Philadelphia Cricket Membership’s Wissahickon Course.
The pairing of the 2 within the closing spherical of the Truist Championship could not stack up extra in another way. Straka is prepared for the stress that comes with the final pairing within the closing spherical, whereas Lowry is snug with the final-round strain as he works to finish a prolonged winless run.
“All you are able to do is attempt to concentrate on what you’ll be able to management, and that’s your goal, attempt to hit your quantity and attempt to make swing,” mentioned Straka, a winner at The American Categorical in January who would be a part of three-time winner Rory McIlroy with a victory Sunday. “You are going to really feel horrible whereas attempting to do it, however that is simply a part of it. That type of makes it enjoyable when you’ll be able to pull it off.”
In the meantime, Lowry is assured he has put himself ready to win a person title for the primary time for the reason that 2019 British Open.
“Maintain knocking on the door and finally you may undergo it. I really feel like I’ve performed job of it this season, final season. It does get irritating generally,” mentioned Lowry, who teamed with McIlroy to win a workforce occasion in New Orleans final yr. “I will exit and provides my finest. If it is good tomorrow, that can be nice.”
Two photographs again to start out the day, Straka offset his solely bogey with 5 birdies — two within the closing 4 holes — and made a clutch par putt from 16½ ft on the 18th.
Lowry, 38, of Eire, moved right into a tie for the lead by matching Straka’s birdie on the downwind 489-yard, par-4 seventeenth, and he can be paired with the 32-year-old Austrian on Sunday within the closing spherical of the sixth of signature occasion of the PGA Tour season.
Keith Mitchell, the chief after 18 and 36 holes, labored via a spherical of 1 over. He was 11 beneath with Justin Thomas, who charged up the leaderboard regardless of bogeys on the 2 par 5s in a 67. Hideki Matsuyama was one other stroke again after a 63, the most effective rating of the day.
McIlroy, the defending champion, made an early transfer earlier than spoiling a three-birdie run with consecutive bogeys. He had an uneventful again 9 with one birdie and was 8 beneath after a 69, tied with Nick Taylor (67), Sam Burns (67), Sungjae Im (67) and Tony Finau (67).
The gamers handled the third variation of enjoying situations. Two days after 64 gamers broke par and a day after rain tempered scoring on the 7,100-yard structure, Saturday’s wind at 12 mph — with gusts as much as 27 mph — and faster greens made low scoring tough.
“It is nice to see the way in which the situations come into it at present,” Lowry mentioned. “The golf course is standing up very well.
“It was very robust at present in these winds, notably robust to gap putts.”
Straka agreed.
“It has been enjoyable on the tee field attempting to strategize on a brand new golf gap each day and attempting to determine one of the simplest ways to play it,” he mentioned.
Straka proved to be the steadiest among the many leaders. He began the spherical 5 strokes again and moved right into a tie for the lead with a bogey-free entrance 9 that included two birdies. He closed out his spherical with 5 birdies and a bogey.
Lowry moved right into a tie with enjoying accomplice Mitchell with a birdie on the first, and the duo traded the lead via the entrance 9, making the flip at 13 beneath, deadlocked with Straka, who was a gap forward. Lowry took the lead with a birdie putt of 17 ft on the 459-yard, par-4 tenth however was compelled to accept a tie after Straka’s sturdy end.
Thomas, in search of a second win in as many begins after taking the RBC Heritage, birdied three of the ultimate 4 holes on the entrance 9 and added back-to-back birds on the again to maneuver into competition.
Mitchell did his finest to take care of his lead, however bogeys at Nos. 3, 4, 8, 10 and 14 have been his undoing. He steadied himself and closed with 4 pars.
McIlroy struggled all through, hitting simply three of 14 fairways. He had an uneventful again 9 of 1 beneath, and he’ll begin the ultimate spherical 5 strokes behind the leaders in a bid to win in his first particular person occasion since finishing the profession Grand Slam on the Masters final month.
