Scottie Scheffler started another Saturday out of contention in a golf tournament and ended it with another stellar score. After just making it past the cutline at the 2026 Players Championship Friday evening, Scheffler delivered a bogey-free, 5-under 67 on Saturday, which propelled him up the leaderboard towards the top 20 by the time he concluded his round at 4 under for the tournament.

Scheffler’s 67 was the second-lowest score among early players in Round 3, helping him move up more than 30 places on the leaderboard. His strong performance was primarily due to improved play off the tee, hitting 11 out of 14 fairways, compared to a mere 14 across his first two rounds combined.

“I was a little sharper today than I was the first two days,” Scheffler remarked. “I felt like I was swinging it better each day of the tournament. Today I hit a few more fairways and was able to give myself a few more looks for birdie.”

Playing from the fairway allowed Scheffler to set himself up better for his approach shots. While he only hit nine greens in regulation, many of his misses were close enough for easy up-and-downs or birdies, including the par-3 17th.

His birdies came from inside 20 feet, with the longest being an 18-foot putt on the par-4 6th. Despite the impressive birdies, he also faced challenges, including a missed fairway on par-5 holes, making it harder to reach the greens in two shots.

While he showcased a solid round, Scheffler noted he has areas to work on, specifically his performance on par-5s this week, where he is currently 3 under. In contrast, Ludvig Åberg, who led after 36 holes, played those same holes at 6 under on Friday alone.

“I think with the way I hit it the first couple of days, I tried to maintain a positive attitude and focus,” Scheffler explained. “Overall, I feel I’ve been in a good spot with my commitment to my shots, which resulted in a good round today.”

Scheffler continues to progress as he looks ahead to future tournaments.