Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry share lead at Truist Championship

FLOURTOWN, Pa. -- Sepp Straka of Austria and Shane Lowry of Ireland stand three shots above the pack after three rounds of the Truist Championship.

They enter Sunday's final around at 14-under 196 after playing stellar golf on Saturday at the Philadelphia Cricket Club's Wissahickon Course.

Straka rolled in a 24 1/2-foot birdie putt at No. 17 to grab the outright lead before Lowry, playing in the final group, tied him with a birdie at the same hole.

Straka shot a 4-under-par 66 as he seeks his second title of the PGA Tour season and his first win at a signature event. Lowry signed for a 67.

Keith Mitchell led after each of the first two rounds but poor putting knocked him off his perch. He shot a 1-over 71 and fell to 11 under, tied for third with Justin Thomas (66).

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama went out early and shot the round of the day, a 7-under 63, to get to 10 under and fifth place.

Lowry birdied his first two holes to move in front of Mitchell, who had three-putt bogeys at Nos. 3 and 4 before rebounding with birdies at Nos. 5 and 6.

Straka crept up the standings and took his first lead when he birdied No. 9. Lowry responded with birdies at Nos. 9 and 10, the latter a 17-footer.

Mitchell gave himself a great look at the par-3 14th by landing his tee shot 5 feet from the pin. He proceeded to miss both his birdie and his par putts and carded his fifth bogey of the round.

Rory McIlroy was off to a hot start when he birdied Nos. 4-6, the latter on an improbable 54-foot putt. The Northern Irishman gave back all of those strokes with a double bogey and bogey on the next two holes.

McIlroy, the defending champion who is playing in his first non-team event since winning the Masters, carded a 69 and is part of a brigade tied for sixth at 8 under par. Sam Burns, Tony Finau, Canadian Nick Taylor and South Korea's Sungjae Im all shot 67.

--Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media