CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Adam Scott kept making birdies and changing his outlook on the season until he finished with his lowest score of the year, a 9-under 63 on Friday in the BMW Championship that gave him a three-shot lead going into the weekend.

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley did his best to stay in range until making his first bogey of the week on the 18th hole at Castle Pines. He still had a 68 and was alone in second.

The 44-year-old Scott, who first played Castle Pines as a 20-year-old on a sponsor exemption for his first regular PGA Tour event, had a certain freedom he hasn’t felt all year. He is in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning he can play all the $20 million signature events next year instead of having to rely on sponsor exemptions.

Having the 36-hole lead is a bargain. A top finish would get him back to East Lake for the Tour Championship and assure him playing all the majors next year.

“Leaving the range, I just kind of wanted to keep moving in the right direction, grind out and shoot under par and keep going that way,” he said. “Then by the middle of the round, I was thinking of how many birdies I can make. It’s funny how that happens.

“I feel like I really don’t have anything to lose this week,” he said. “I can’t go out of the top 50. I’m going to have a good schedule in the signature events next year. Of course, I’d love to make it to East Lake. But now I’d love to win this event.”

Strangest of all Friday was a leaderboard that ran 20 deep but didn’t include Scottie Scheffler or Xander Schauffele.

Scheffler opened with a pair of birdies, but his round started to go sideways with a double bogey when he went from the rough into the water to the drop zone to over the green. He shot a 72 and was 12 behind.

Schauffele also opened with two birdies and was 3 under for his round until making four bogeys over his last six holes for a 73. He was 11 shots behind.

“I wasn’t hitting it great and was kind of faking it around the property a little bit and it caught up to me,” Schauffele said. “Scottie and I were just kind of blah.”

LPGA: Nelly Korda mastered more blustery conditions in St. Andrews, Scotland, shooting a bogey-free, 4-under 68 in the second round to take a three-stroke lead at the Women’s British Open.

Korda won the first women’s major of 2024 – the Chevron Championship in April – and is on track to capture the last one, too. There have also been five more titles in a year when she has consolidated her status as the best player in the women’s game, even if her top form has deserted her in the last couple of months.

Worse for Korda’s rivals is that she is warming to links golf, too.

“This year in general, I’ve won on just so many different types of grasses, in different types of conditions, that you just kind of always have to adapt,” said Korda, who was 8-under par for the tournament. “That’s the same thing in tennis, same thing in life.

“You’re always adapting to your situations at hand, and I think that’s what’s so fun about links golf – you’re literally starting it 30 yards left of your target, and I’m not a fade player but I’m hitting massive fades. I think it’s fun hitting these little low drivers, too. I’m having fun, and I enjoy links golf a lot.”

England’s Charley Hull, the overnight leader, shot even par and was tied for second place with defending champion Lilia Vu.