LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Scottie Scheffler is down, but there’s still a crowded leaderboard after Round 3 of the PGA Championship on Saturday. Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele (15 under par) will head to Valhalla Golf Club tied for the lead and will play together in the final pairing, but seven other players are within four shots of them.
Schauffele, seeking his first major championship, leads after every round of the PGA Championship, but shares it for the first time with Morikawa, seeking his third major. The first scored a 68 on Saturday and the second a 67.
Sahith Theegala is 14 under after all three birdied the 18th hole to end the round. Shane Lowry (who tied the PGA Championship record with a 62), Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland are tied for fourth at 13 under.
Then there are European Ryder Cup members Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre at 12 under and Dean Burmester at 11 under. Six more are tied at 10 under par.
But Scheffler was still among the biggest stories of the day after shooting his first round over par since August. A third-round 73 put him in a tie for 24th at 7 under par. He started the day three shots behind Schauffele, but made double bogey on No. 2 and followed up with bogeys on the next two holes. His card featured a double bogey, five bogeys and five birdies. Scheffler was playing without regular caddie Ted Scott, who missed the third round to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. Scott will caddy for Scheffler in the fourth round.
You could argue that 18 players have a realistic chance of winning this golf tournament. Valhalla was set for theater earlier in the week. The course is long and all in front of you, meaning many players choose the same course management strategy to aggressively attack the soft setup. A tight qualifying was inevitable, but few expected it to go this well.
The stories for tomorrow’s round are abundant:
- Schauffele is looking to finally prove himself as a closer.
- Morikawa ends a major drought in the winning department.
- Theegala celebrates his first major championship and competes on the biggest stage of his career.
- Lowry translated a record 62 on Saturday in his second major.
- DeChambeau, arguably the most entertaining golfer in the game right now, is back on top.
- Hovland captured his first major title just a week after reuniting with his swing coach Joe Mayo.
- Justin Rose becomes the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship in 100 years.
The list goes on. Tomorrow should be fun.
T1: Schäuffele -15 (68)
S1: Morikawa -15 (67)
3: Theegala -14 (67)
T4: Lowry -13 (62)
T4: DeChambeau -13 (67)
T4: Hovland -13 (66)
S7: Pink -12 (64)
S7: MacIntyre -12 (66)
9: Burmester -11 (68)
T10: Hodges -10 (67)
T10: Tomás -10 (67)
T10: Finau -10 (69)
T10: English -10 (68)
S10: Black Throat -10 (69)
T10: Detry -10 (70)
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(Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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