2024 The Sentry leaderboard, scores: Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler chasing Chris Kirk into final round

Chris Kirk maintains lead in The Sentry

Chris Kirk finished the third round of The Sentry with a solo lead at 21 under. Despite a difficult start with an early bogey, Kirk bounced back with eight birdies over his final 14 holes. His strong performance put him ahead of Akshay Bhatia at 20 under.

"I kind of got back to doing my thing thankfully, but it was a difficult opening stretch," said Kirk. "That second hole, [the wind] was blowing so hard left to right and 3 and 4 were playing so long into the wind. The first few holes were tough and then I was able to save a few pars there and get settled in after that."

Kirk has held the 54-hole lead six times in his PGA Tour career, converting three of those instances into victories. He will have to hold off top players like Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele in order to win his first tournament of the year.

Other Contenders

There are several other players in contention to win The Sentry. Akshay Bhatia currently sits at 20 under, just one shot behind Kirk. Defending champion Harris English had a strong start to his third round and is tied with Scottie Scheffler at 18 under.

Scheffler, who entered the weekend with the solo lead, struggled to find his rhythm on Saturday. Despite a pair of early birdies, a 3-putt on the par-5 18th cost him the chance to be in the penultimate pairing with Spieth. He will start the final round three shots behind Kirk.

Other players in the mix include Jason Day, Sahith Theegala, and Patrick Cantlay, all at 18 under. It will be an exciting final round with multiple players vying for the title.

Challenging Conditions on Moving Day

The Plantation Course provided a tougher challenge for players on Saturday. With windy conditions and slicker putting surfaces, the par 73 course played nearly three strokes more difficult compared to Friday. While players had no trouble going under-par in the first two rounds, 13 players shot over-par rounds in the third round.

Despite the challenging conditions, Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele were able to excel. Spieth had a bogey-free round and has now gone 51 holes without a dropped shot. Schauffele overcame an early bogey to shoot an 8-under 65, the second-lowest round of the day. Both former champions of The Sentry, Spieth and Schauffele are in a strong position to make a run for the title.

The final round of The Sentry promises to be exciting, with players battling both their opponents and the conditions to come out on top.

Predictions and Odds

With Chris Kirk holding the lead heading into the final round, he is the favorite with odds of +360. Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler are close contenders at 5-1 and 13/2, respectively. Jordan Spieth and Akshay Bhatia also have favorable odds at 13/2 and 9-1.

Despite Scheffler's struggles on Saturday, Schauffele is predicted to have a strong performance on the final day. With his impressive approach shots and putting skills, he is expected to match his Round 3 effort. It will be a tight race to the finish, but the winner of The Sentry will ultimately be determined by their ability to sink crucial putts.