Tour Championship Round 3 Leaderboard: Fleetwood and Cantlay share lead

Tommy Fleetwood has set up a golden chance to win his first PGA Tour title at the Tour Championship and with it take the season-long FedEx Cup race.

Fleetwood, 34, bounced back from a disastrous double-bogey five on 15 with birdies on 16 and 17 to card a round of 67 and move into a share of the lead with Patrick Cantlay, who birdied four the last five holes for a brilliant 64. 

Cantlay and Fleetwood find themselves at 16-under par with 18 holes to play and two shots ahead of Russell Henley, who carded a 69. 

While a proven seven-time winner on the DP World Tour, Fleetwood is still going in search of his first PGA Tour title despite six runner-up finishes.

The Englishman has amassed more than $33m in prize money on the PGA Tour, which is a record for any player without a victory on the circuit. 

After two recent close-calls at the Travelers Championship and FedEx St Jude Championship earlier this month, Fleetwood is once again in pole position to get the job done as he heads into the final round of his 164th start on the PGA Tour. 

With all the points on the FedEx Cup resetting ahead of this week's Tour Championship, the winner of the season finale also wins the FedEx Cup.

Fleetwood joked at the start of the week that it would be "pretty funny" if he was to capture his first PGA Tour title where two trophies and $10m is on the line at East Lake. 

"Yeah obviously a big disappointment on 15 but you just want to bounceback don't you with three holes to play, and 21 holes left of the tournament and knew I was still in a good position," said Fleetwood.

"I was really happy with how I played 16 and 17."

He added: "The more times you get it wrong, the more times it doesn't happen for you, you sort of start to not fear it.

"You can only gain experience in those situations. Experience is something you can't practice, you just have to be there and I think knowing where my game has been at and knowing how I've played, knowing certain things I know I could have done better or things that didn't go my way... but I think the lucky thing is is that I've given myself the chance to improve on those things and that's all you want to do. 

"I'm happy to be in this position again, it's where everybody else wants to be and I'm one of the lucky ones to be in contention so I'm looking forward to it."

It will be no easy task for Fleetwood since his final-round playing partner Cantlay has history at East Lake having won the FedEx Cup in 2021.

But you have to go all the way back to the BMW Championship in August 2022 for Cantlay's last of eight career PGA Tour titles. 

With a Ryder Cup pick very much on the line, Cantlay has looked inspired and with a point to prove over the past few days.

Cantlay is a solid 10-under par for his 21 holes at the Tour Championship and he feels extremely confident heading into the final round. 

"I feel like I'm striking it well and really in control of my golf ball, making some nice mid-range putts which is always good to see," said Cantlay, who is first in strokes-gained tee to green, first in approach and in the top five for strokes-gained putting at East Lake this week. 

"I've holed a lot of those mid-range putts to keep momentum so really pleased with that, and look to take that all into tomorrow."

On his good vibes having won the FedEx Cup at East Lake four years ago, Cantlay said: "Yeah I'll definitely look to draw on that tomorrow. I'm exactly where I want to be going into Sunday, I'll stick to my process and look forward to it."

Henley, who shared the 36-hole lead with Fleetwood, could only manage a 69 but his birdie on the par-5 18th saw him move into solo third on 14-under par. 

Henley is already assured of his debut on the US Ryder Cup team next month. 

US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is also in the mix for the Tour Championship a further shot back on 13-under par after firing a fantastic 63.

"That was one of the best rounds of the year for me," said Bradley. 

"I'm really proud of this round."

Bradley, who denied Fleetwood at the Travelers Championship earlier this summer, has now given himself something of a headache with his performances as to whether he hands himself one of his six captain's picks.

Should Bradley pick himself then he will become the first playing-captain at the Ryder Cup since late great Arnold Palmer in 1963. 

He will reveal his six picks to the golf world this coming Wednesday. 

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald will confirm his six picks a little later on Monday 1 September. 

It's far from just a four-horse race for the 2025 Tour Championship and FedEx Cup though as yes, you guessed it, World No.1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler is waiting in the wings for any collapse from the leaders. 

Scheffler once again did not have his best stuff out there but he still managed to scrap together a 66 to move to 12-under par in solo fifth.

Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy failed to fire with a lacklustre 71 and he looks on from well off the pace at 6-under par in a tie for 16th.