The last group for the day is finding it difficult to keep up with everyone else. Not that Ludvig Aberg and Xander Schauffele are making anyone wait. But after both of them failed to push through on the fourth hole, the rules officials had to step in to warn them.

The two were told to quicken their pace of play, according to Mark Dusbabek on the NBC broadcast. The warning came after the final group fell behind due to difficulties on No. 4. Schauffele and Aberg ended round two at the top of the leaderboard. Hence, they were paired together for the third round on Saturday. But thus far in the round, neither of them has had the best start.

The two-time major champion conceded a stroke on the par-3 third hole. The Swedish pro messed up on the fourth hole. It took him five strokes to complete the par-4 hole. Unfortunately, apart from the strokes, he and Schauffele also took a long time to finish the hole. And that led to the rules official warning them for slow play. This was the first incident of pace of play that caught the headlines after the one that occurred in the Final Stage of the Q-School in December 2025.

While Aberg took more strokes to complete the hole, he wasn’t the one who was taking the majority of the heat from the netizens. Fans took out their frustration on Schauffele instead. Some called him a snail. Others stated that if a group including Aberg is playing slowly, then the Swedish pro is not the problem. There was a clear message in the community about who was to be blamed here.

The poor pace was also accompanied by a drop in strokes. Neither of the leaders was able to capitalize on their lead. Apart from the bogeys in the first few holes, they barely had any impact on the fairway. Their poor showing forced some netizens to suggest that they are letting Scottie Scheffler back into the tournament.

Either way, both players are struggling at TPC Sawgrass. And the course hasn’t been kind to either of them.

Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg face a tough challenge in the third round at TPC Sawgrass

Yes, they were at an advantage going into Saturday. But the third round has been quite taxing to both Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg. The former has suffered the most after nearly completing the round.

With 16 holes played, Schauffele has managed to score a 2-over par for the day. That has dropped him to T4 on the leaderboard. He has barely managed to score one birdie throughout the round, but has made three errors so far.

As far as Aberg’s performance goes, he has played relatively better than his group mate. The Swedish pro has shot a 2-under par after 16 holes of play. The eagle on the par-5 11th hole played a huge role in helping him get there.

Aberg is leading the field by three strokes with only a couple of holes to play. Going into Championship Sunday, he will be in a great position to win the PGA Tour flagship event comfortably. All he needs to do is somehow maintain his lead and sustain the pressure from his peers for one more round.