Casey rallies to hold 2-shot lead at East Lake

ATLANTA – Notes and observations from the third round of the TOUR Championship, where Paul Casey holds a two-shot lead after shooting 65 on Saturday. For more from East Lake Golf Club, click here to read the Daily Wrap-Up. CASEY NOT BACKING DOWN Casey may lead the TOUR Championship, but the FedExCup’s top two players used late rallies Saturday to keep their FedExCup chances alive. Justin Thomas, who’s T4 in the TOUR Championship, is just 220 points behind Casey in the projected standings, while Jordan Spieth is just 246 points back. Spieth is T13 in the TOUR Championship. Thomas struggled for most of Saturday, but made birdie on two of his final three holes to shoot 70. He’s in a three-way tie for fourth at 7-under 203, five shots behind Casey. If Casey, who has one PGA TOUR win in 219 career TOUR starts, wins the TOUR Championship, Thomas can still win the FedExCup with a third-place finish. The last time the TOUR Championship winner didn’t also win the FedExCup? In 2009, when Phil Mickelson won the tournament and Tiger Woods claimed the FedExCup. Spieth is eight shots off the lead, but his FedExCup chances also are still alive. He birdied three of his final six holes to shoot 69 on Saturday. He’s trying to join Tiger Woods as the only players to win the FedExCup multiple times. “I was 2 over through 11 holes and I missed about a 3‑footer for birdie on the 12th and I really could be at 1 or 2 over for the tournament right now pretty easily,â€� Spieth said. “I did a great job of keeping myself in the FedExCup race and really in a solid position. I know that I’m capable of going low on this golf course.â€� If Casey wins the TOUR Championship, Spieth could still win the FedExCup with a T4 finish at East Lake. He is three shots out of fourth place. KIS CONTENDING Kevin Kisner took to Twitter on Friday night to request a helicopter ride from East Lake to Athens, Georgia, so that he could watch his beloved Georgia Bulldogs play Saturday night. He may be able to buy a helicopter come Sunday. Kisner shot Saturday’s low round, a 6-under 64, to put himself in contention for the TOUR Championship and FedExCup. He’s tied for second, two shots behind Casey.   I need a helicopter to take me to Athens tomorrow after the round to make the game. Who has one in ATL?— Kevin Kisner (@K_Kisner) September 22, 2017 Saturday’s 64 was Kisner’s low career round at East Lake by three shots. He broke par in just one of his first eight rounds at East Lake, but has shot in the 60s in all three rounds this year, shooting 68-68-64. Kisner gave the local fans something to cheer about before he cheered on Georgia in its Saturday evening game against Mississippi State. “It’s awesome being able to hear all the ‘Go Dawgs’ out there,â€� Kisner said. “There’s a lot of people I know and a lot of people that love me and like me out here, so I feel like it’s kind of a hometown event.â€� CALL OF THE DAY XANDER GOING LOW Xander Schauffele squeaked into the field at East Lake with a furious finish at the BMW Championship. Now he has a second PGA TOUR title within his reach. Schauffele shot Saturday’s second-lowest round, a 5-under 65, to pull within two shots of Casey. Schauffele already is a virtual lock for the PGA TOUR’s Rookie of the Year award. A win this week would add another accomplishment to an impressive rookie season. Schauffele got into the TOUR Championship by shooting 6 under on the final six holes of last week’s BMW Championship. He won this year’s The Greenbrier Classic and posted top-20 finishes at two majors (U.S. Open and the Open Championship), the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and two of the first three events of the FedExCup Playoffs. “It’s all surreal,â€� Schauffele said of this season’s success, “and I’m going to try and keep that mindset for tomorrow, just kind of have that nothing‑to‑lose mindset and see where it takes us.â€� SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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