NORTON, Mass. – Scottie Scheffler skimmed through a couple hundred text messages Friday night after recording the 12^th sub-60 score in PGA Tour history. Once he arrived at TPC Boston for his third round, he was still receiving congratulations from his peers.

“It’s fun,” he said, “but once I got on the course, I didn’t think once about it.”

Keeping pace with Dustin Johnson required his full attention.

Scheffler followed up his 59 with a third-round 67 – a solid round but not low enough to hang with Johnson, who went 60-64 and now has a five-shot lead at The Northern Trust.

Despite sitting at 17-under 196 through three rounds and being ranked second in strokes gained: tee to green, Scheffler said his swing “feels a bit off.”

“I’ve had a little trouble working it left to right,” he said. “But I’m managing it pretty well. I would say I probably hit it better in San Fran” – when he played in the final group Sunday at the PGA Championship – “than I am right now, but the margins out here are a little wider than they were there. At a major, you’ve got to be so specific, so that makes you take your ball-striking to a new level. I wouldn’t say I’m hitting it poorly. I’m obviously hitting it very well.”

Entering the week at No. 24 in the FedExCup standings, Scheffler, a rookie, could virtually lock up his spot at the Tour Championship with a high finish this week. In a tie for second with Harris English, he’s currently projected to rise to No. 7.