CASTLE ROCK — After waiting a decade for the return of the PGA Tour, Colorado golfaholics will get the drama they deserve on Sunday.

Four players are bunched up atop the leaderboard within two strokes of each other entering the final day of the BMW Championship, setting up a thrilling finish Sunday at Castle Pines Golf Club.

The 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley, is in first at 12-under par. Right behind him is Adam Scott at 11-under, followed by Swedes Ludvig Åberg and Alex Noren, both at 10-under.

Bradley, the last man into the BMW Championship with the No. 50 FedExCup ranking, won the tournament in 2018 and is seeking his first victory this year. As the course reined in the golfers with steady gusts throughout the day, the 38-year-old’s round was up and down. He had four pars along with eight birdies and six bogeys.

He finished the day 2-under, highlighted by birdies on the par-5 17th and par-4 18th as he attempts to become the event’s 20th multiple winner.

“It was tough out there today,” Bradley said. “It was really windy, a lot of elevated tees that were into the wind, which makes it really tough. Proud of the way I fought today. I played some brilliant golf but I hit also some terrible shots, too.”

Saturday also brought a different vibe for Scott, who shot 9-under on Friday to set the course record along with Åberg, who accomplished the feat as well. Scott had only one bogey coming into the weekend, but the 44-year-old Australian’s Day 3 immediately got off to a rough start.

He hit his opening tee shot out of bounds, eventually resulting in a bogey. Then he double-bogeyed the par-4 3rd hole after hitting his drive into the water. All that momentum he built up over the prior two days was zapped, and he also bogeyed the par-3 4th en route to a 4-over score on the front nine.

“I kind of felt like I made a meal of (my round), and I didn’t feel like I did that much wrong,” Scott said. “A couple of drives were just not quite right, and a three-putt (on the 3rd), and all of a sudden I’m kind of chasing. I really struggled mostly on the greens today.

“They were just so different from yesterday’s round speed-wise and firmness and look and everything. Felt like I was on a different course almost, and I just battled that most of the round. The good shots I hit, I didn’t really get the reward.”

But Scott settled in a bit on the back, with a birdie on the par-3 11th after hitting his drive four feet from the cup. Then after a bogey on the par-5 14th, he got back on track with birdies on the par-3 16th (10-foot putt) and par-5 17th (six-foot putt) to finish his day 2-over.

“I’m in a good spot in the end of it to be one back,” said Scott, who made his American PGA Tour debut at The International in 2000.

Meanwhile, Åberg — a rising PGA Tour star who is 20 years Scott’s junior — also came back down to earth following his record round on Friday that put him in contention after he carded even par on Thursday.

The Swede started fast, with three birdies in the first five holes, but then found the rough on the 6th and 7th that led to consecutive bogeys. On the back nine, his momentum was also checked as he double-bogeyed the 11th after going into the water and then bogeyed the 13th. But he remained aggressive in his shot selection.

“I feel like in order to beat all these guys that are obviously such good golfers, you have to be aggressive and you have to take advantage of the chances, and you don’t do that by not being aggressive, with aggressive execution,” Åberg said. “I feel like (I’ve) been doing that quite well over the last few days, and hopefully I can do that again (on Sunday).”

Åberg found new life with an eagle on the par-5 14th that featured an impressive 34-foot birdie putt. He closed with four straight pars to finish 1-under.

“I hit a nice 5-iron on the green (on the 14th),” Åberg said. “Those putts you’re just trying to get up there somewhere, but luckily it went in.”

And Noren, who double-bogeyed the par-4 3rd after hitting into the water and followed that with a bogey on the par-3 4th, showed resolve like the rest of the top of the leaderboard. He entered the week No. 41 in the rankings but has continued his streak of solid play in a season where he has three top-10 finishes.

“I was 3-over after four holes,” said Noren, 42. “Then coming in 2-under, I’m extremely happy and proud of myself for not getting down.”

Valor Christian alum Wyndham Clark is also in contention entering Sunday after carding 3-under to move to 7-under for the tournament, in a tie for fifth with Xander Schauffele. Schauffele, the winner of two majors this season at The Open Championship and PGA Championship, can’t be counted out for another push on the final day. Neither can Clark, who has more experience at Castle Pines than the rest of the field and will have the hometown crowd behind him.

Among the players in the pole position, Bradley has six career wins on Tour, but none this year. Scott, the 2013 Masters champion and former world No. 1 a decade ago, has 14 career wins but no victories since the Genesis Invitational in 2020.

And Åberg has one career win, last year’s RSM Classic, while Noren has 13 top-five finishes but no victories in 182 events on Tour.

“These are the situations (all good players) like to be in,” said Åberg, who has a chance to become the first player since 2006 to win the BMW Championship in his tournament debut. “We like to be close to the lead coming down the last couple of holes.”

Originally Published: August 24, 2024 at 7:06 p.m.