Scheffler was 20 under and had a five-shot lead with just three holes to play. The suspended final round will resume Monday 10pm (AEST).

US Open champion Wyndham Clark posted a closing six-under 65 and finished at 15-under (269) to be tied second on the leaderboard with Patrick Cantlay (one hole to complete), Sahith Theegala (three holes to play) and J.T. Poston (one hole to play).

Scheffler was on the verge of winning for the fourth time in five tournaments, the exception a runner-up finish in the Houston Open.

He was trying to become the first player since Bernhard Langer in 1985 to win the week after slipping on the Masters’ Green Jacket.

Cantlay was tied for second at 15-under when he hit his approach to the collar of the 18th green. He chose to mark his ball and return on Monday to finish. Poston also was on the 18th hole and among the group at 15-under.

None had a chance of catching Scheffler unless the runaway world No.1 golfer made a series of blunders in the morning, and that looked improbable.

Scheffler has not made worse than par in the tournament since a double bogey on the third hole on Thursday.

However, that run was put to the test on his final hole. He hit his second shot on the par-5 15th into the water, had to drop behind a row of trees and then hit his shot with enough spin on the rain-softened green to feed down the slope to 12 feet.

He holed the par putt, lightly pumping his fist, showing more emotion than when he made his eagle on No. 2 or the two birdies which followed.

- Doug Ferguson