The three-peat is alive, but five tied for lead going to Sunday at 2024 Houston Open

Scheffler thought he hit a perfect shot.

Fifteen seconds later, his ball was in the water, and he looked flabbergasted at caddie Ted Scott.

For the second time in as many days, Scheffler had a double bogey, but this one came on the par-3 15th hole (more on that later) instead of the 18th. Nevertheless, as we’ve become accustomed to seeing with Scheffler, he bounced back in the biggest way.

Scheffler followed his double with birdies at Nos. 16 and 17, and he sits in a five-way tie for the lead at 9-under 201 after a 4-under 66 on Moving Day. His tee shot landed near the hole on the par-3 before spinning back, through the rough and into the water.

“It’s a horrendous break really,” Scheffler said. “There’s really just nothing else. I hit a great shot and the ball goes in the water. It’s not great, but it happens, it’s part of the game. So I could really kind of walk up there knowing that I hit a good shot and I just did my best to get it up and down.”

Scheffler had eight birdies on Saturday but matched that with two bogeys and a double. Yet the result at the end of the day is the same as it has been plenty in recent weeks, months and years: Scheffler is on top of the leaderboard.

Come Sunday, if he were to win the Houston Open, it would be his third straight win on the PGA Tour. The last person to do so was Dustin Johnson in 2017, and the last person to win three consecutive stroke-play events was Rory McIlroy in 2014.

However, Scheffler isn’t relying on what he has done in the past going into Sunday. He’s ready for the task ahead.

“Winning the last two doesn’t help me do anything tomorrow,” Scheffler said. “Yeah, stick to my process. I think it’s going to be another pretty challenging day out there with high winds. Stick to my process and control what I can control out there.”