SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Alex Noren acquired up-and-down on his final two holes Saturday, one for a birdie to regain the lead and one other for par to finish a 4-under 67 and hold a one-shot lead within the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Noren can be going for his first PGA Tour victory and his first worldwide win for the reason that French Open in 2018, the yr the Swede performed within the Ryder Cup.

“This is what you dream of, having a chance to win and being up in the final group on a Saturday, Sunday. I really enjoyed it today,” Noren mentioned. “I came off maybe a little colder start, but I played good enough to kind of get that 4 under in the end. I’m very happy, happy with that and happy to be in the lead still.”

For many of the breezy day at Port Royal, Noren was making an attempt to maintain a nostril in entrance of Camilo Villegas and Ryan Moore.

Villegas hammered an extended iron to about 12 toes to arrange a two-putt birdie on the par-5 seventeenth and momentarily tied with Noren. Villegas completed with a par for a 65 and can be within the remaining group for the second straight week.

Moore got here up in need of the inexperienced on the seventeenth and watched it roll down a steep slope into the tough, taking away a certain birdie alternative. He shot 67 and was two strokes behind together with Matti Schmid of Germany, who had 5 straight birdies on the entrance 9 and closed out his spherical with an eagle and a birdie for a 65.

Noren hit a nifty pitch from the collar of tough behind the seventeenth inexperienced to 2 toes for birdie. More spectacular was his par on the 18th. His method got here up quick and rolled down a steep slope again to the golf green. He hit a pitch that checked up 3 toes in need of the opening for par.

Noren was at 19-under 194 and has performed his final 40 holes and not using a bogey.

For every week like this, when the wind is manageable and Port Royal is the shortest course on the PGA Tour, loads of birdies are required to maintain tempo. Noren had three birdies in a five-hole stretch across the flip and threw in a number of good par putts.

“Tomorrow is going to be a lot of guys chasing, so there’s going to be some low scores,” Noren mentioned.

The three closest pursuers got here into the Bermuda Championship making an attempt to safe full PGA Tour playing cards for subsequent yr.

Villegas was at No. 223 till a runner-up end in Mexico final week that acquired him inside the highest 150, and now he’s in vary of transferring into the highest 125. The PGA Tour season ends subsequent week.

“Three days, one more, got to keep doing the same thing and we’ll see what happens,” he mentioned.

Moore was at No. 140 and Schmid was at No. 148.

“It’s huge for me in my position,” Schmid mentioned. “I think I’m 148 on the FedEx list right now. Need to keep doing my thing and need one more good finish.”

More than preserving a full card, they will take into consideration profitable.

Stewart Cink, who turned 50 this yr and has dabbled on the PGA Tour Champions, had a 66 and was three pictures behind. Adam Scott had a 65 and was within the group one other shot again. Scott rolled in a 40-foot putt on the par-3 sixteenth, birdied the seventeenth after which made a 25-foot putt on the finish to complete his string of birdies.