Akshay Bhatia lost ground with a third-round 71 at East Lake, while Viktor Hovland’s putting surge earned him a one-shot lead heading into the finale.

Akshay Bhatia slipped to tied 22nd in the 29-player field after returning a 1-over 71 in the third round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

Bhatia, who began the day tied for 11th, moved to 5-under for the tournament following rounds of 65, 69 and 71.

The 23-year-old dropped his first shot at the fifth before recovering it with a birdie on the 12th. However, consecutive bogeys at the 14th and 15th stalled his round. A birdie at the 17th helped him limit the damage, but he lost 11 places on a tightly packed leaderboard.

Irrespective of Sunday’s result, Bhatia’s qualification for the season-ending Tour Championship guarantees him entry into all four Major championships next season.

Viktor Hovland moved into the outright lead after closing with consecutive birdies for a 5-under 65. The Norwegian finished at 15-under, one stroke ahead of Tour Championship debutant Ryan Gerard, who recorded a bogey-free 66.

Hovland’s putter proved decisive down the stretch. He converted four of his final six putts from seven feet or longer, including birdies from 11 feet at the 13th and 15th, an 18-foot par save at the 14th and two eight-foot birdie putts to finish.

Scottie Scheffler and Chris Gotterup reached 12-under alongside Adam Scott and Ludvig Åberg. Scheffler shot a bogey-free 66, while Scott and Åberg each returned 65.

Rory McIlroy surged into contention with the day’s lowest round, a 7-under 63, to join Cameron Young five strokes behind the leader.

The winner will collect $10 million, lift the FedExCup and receive a five-year PGA Tour exemption. Hovland will enter the final round seeking his second FedExCup title after winning the season-long race in 2023.

Photo – PGAT