European stars Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland are seven strokes behind Harris English and Ryan Palmer heading into the final round of the 2021 Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

The European trio are tied for 10th place on 14-under with world No 1 Dustin Johnson and his American compatriots Xander Schauffele and Brendon Todd after another low scoring day at the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

English shot a seven-under 66 and Palmer a nine-under 64 to lead by one stroke on 21-under par from PGA champion Collin Morikawa with Daniel Berger three shots behind on 18-under par.

Defending champion Justin Thomas is only four strokes adrift on 17-under after a 68 left him tied for fifth with Sungjae Im.

Thomas apologised after his round for making what has been described as a “homophobic slur” which was picked up by a television microphone after he missed a five-foot putt at the fourth.

"There's just no excuse," the 27-year-old American told Golf Channel. "There's absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It's terrible. It's not the kind of person that I am."

"I need to do better. I deeply apologise to anyone and everybody who I offended and I'll be better because of it."

The PGA Tour added in a statement: "As he expressed after his round, we agree that Justin's comment was unacceptable."

Scores

2021 Sentry Tournament of Champions

(13th of 50 events in the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season)

Kapalua, Maui, HI January 7-10, 2021 Purse: $6,700,000 ($1,340,000) The Plantation Course Par/Yards: 36-37—73/7,596 FedExCup Points: 500 (winner)

Third-Round Notes – Saturday, January 9, 2021

Weather: Partly cloudy with mostly sunny skies, high of 80. Wind E/NE 8-15 mph.

Third-Round Leaderboard

Harris English 65-67-66—198 (-21)

Ryan Palmer 67-67-64—198 (-21)

Collin Morikawa 69-65-65—199 (-20)

Daniel Berger 69-65-67—201 (-18)

Things to Know

• Harris English and Ryan Palmer are co-leaders at 21-under going into the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions

• Two-time tournament winner and defending champion Justin Thomas (T5) posts third-round 68 in search of his third win at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (2017, 2020) which would tie Stuart Appleby for most wins since the tournament moved to The Plantation Course at Kapalua

• The cumulative 54-hole scoring average (68.968) is the lowest at The Plantation Course since 1999

• Four past champions of the event are inside the top-10 (Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia)

• Celebrating his 41st birthday, Garcia made eight birdies en route to a 5-under 71

Third-Round Lead Notes

27 Third-round leaders/co-leaders at the Sentry Tournament of Champions to win (since 1983)

Most recent: Dustin Johnson/2018

4 Third-round leaders/co-leaders to win this season

Most recent: Robert Streb/The RSM Classic

Comparing the co-leaders (entering the week)

Harris English (-21/T1)

Age 31 (July 23, 1989)

FedExCup 18

OWGR 29

Starts at Sentry TOC 1

Top-10s at Sentry TOC 0

Career PGA TOUR starts 249

Career PGA TOUR wins 2

Career PGA TOUR top-10s 34

PGA TOUR starts in 2020-21 6

PGA TOUR top-10s in 2020-21 4

• English posts a bogey-free 7-under 66 marking his second third-round lead/co-lead on the PGA TOUR (2014 Farmers Insurance Open/T2)

• Has only recorded one bogey in his first 54 holes this week including not making a bogey in his last 47 holes

• R3 stats: 11/15 fairways, 16/18 greens, 27 putts

• Seeking third TOUR win in 250th start (2013 FedEx St. Jude Classic, 2013 Mayakoba Golf Classic)

• Qualified for the field with 12th place finish in the 2020 TOUR Championship

Ryan Palmer (-21/T1)

Age 44 (Sept. 19, 1976)

FedExCup 71

OWGR 30

Starts at Sentry TOC 4

Top-10s at Sentry TOC 0

Career PGA TOUR starts 426

Career PGA TOUR wins 4

Career PGA TOUR top-10s 64

PGA TOUR starts in 2020-21 5

PGA TOUR top-10s in 2020-21 2

• Four-time PGA TOUR winner Ryan Palmer cards a bogey-free 9-under 64, highlighted by five consecutive birdies on the back nine (Nos. 12-16)

• Ranked No. 1 in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (4.061) and Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (2.901) in the third round

• Seeks first win since capturing the 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with playing partner Jon Rahm

• Has had success in Hawaii, capturing a victory at the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii, winning by one stroke against Robert Allenby at Waialae Country Club

• R3 stats: 13/15 fairways, 17/18 greens, 28 putts

• Qualified for the field with a T24 finish in the 2020 TOUR Championship

• Holds the 54-hole lead/co-lead for the fifth time in individual stroke-play events, going on to win the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii

Miscellaneous Notes

• Justin Thomas (T5) records an eagle on the par-5 5th hole, his 13th eagle in Hawaii since 2015, most of any player. Four of the 13 eagles recorded at The Plantation Course

• Billy Horschel (T7) posted his second consecutive 7-under 66, has now played his last 41 holes without a bogey. Hit every green in regulation marking the fourth time in his career to hit every GIR in a round

• Reigning FedExCup champion and two-time Sentry Tournament of Champions winner Dustin Johnson (T10) posted a third-round 4-under 69

• Adam Scott (T21) hit all 18 Greens in Regulation in the third-round, marking the 4th time in his career hitting all 18 greens. He has only missed two greens in regulation for the week (52 of 54). His 52 greens hit marks his most through opening 54 holes in a PGA TOUR event

  Bogey-free rounds:

  R1 (9): Justin Thomas (65), Robert Streb (67), Nick Taylor (67), Patrick Reed (67), Adam Scott (68), Viktor Hovland (69), Martin Laird (69), Marc Leishman (69), Richy Werenski (69)
  R2 (9): Dustin Johnson (65), Daniel Berger (65), Harris English (67), Sebastián Muñoz (66), Billy Horschel (66), Brendon Todd (67), Bryson DeChambeau (67), Cameron Champ (68), Martin Laird (69)
  R3 (8): Ryan Palmer (64), Collin Morikawa (65), Harris English (66), Billy Horschel (66), Daniel Berger (67), Stewart Cink (67), Adam Scott (68), Viktor Hovland (68)