LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The reason golf is such a grueling and infuriating sport is because you can't miss a single hole. Every hole in the 72 holes has the potential to drastically change the round, and for Zander Schauffele that hole became his 15th hole of his third day.
Schauffele had an outright lead after both rounds, and after sinking an 89-foot birdie putt on the 14th, he was two strokes back at -15.
But Schauffele has yet to win a major, and will need every element of his game to be on point to do so. Scheffler missed his approach on the par-4 15th hole and landed in the thick rough behind the green. One chunky approach, one missed bogey putt and a birdie by Collin Morikawa turned Schauffele's two-shot lead into a one-shot lead with three holes left. That's how fast the leaderboard changes to Moving Day.
The score was tied until the 18th, and Morikawa and Schauffele both made birdies to move up to -15, finishing the ensuing mad dash with a two-shot difference.
“I want the lead,” Schauffele said. “You want to take as many shots as possible against these players, no matter how nervous you are.”
Schauffele and Morikawa knew they didn't have much time to spare thanks to a miraculous round from Shane Lowry earlier in the day. The European Ryder Cup stalwart and 2019 British Open champion dominated Valhalla Golf Club on Saturday, posting a 62 to tie for the lowest score in major history. He had a chance to break the record, but his birdie putt on No. 18 rolled slightly to the left.
“Probably the most disappointing 62 of all the players,” Lowry said with a smile after the round. “We knew what was at stake.”
The 62 mark has already been achieved four times, most recently by Schauffele last Thursday. Lowry is one of three players left as two backs.
Other big names also posted low scores, preparing for an attack from Schauffele and Morikawa on Sunday. Saheeth Segala was five strokes off the pace, but birdied six of the last 10 holes to finish at -14.
Bryson DeChambeau made the 18th eagle to make it -13 and take another step toward victory. “It's exhilarating,” he said of the moment. “I haven't felt like that in a long time. The only other time I felt like that was when I hit No. 58 at the Greenbrier.” [at a LIV tournament in 2023]. ”
Victor Hovland birdied the 18th and joined the logjam at -13. Justin Rose and Robert McIntyre are one stroke behind at -12.
“We're fighting as hard as we can, but it's going to be nerve-wracking tomorrow,” McIntyre allowed. “I'm going to be nervous tonight, but all I can do is try my best. That's honestly as much as I tell myself. All I can do is try my best and see what happens in the end. We'll just have to wait and see.'' If I have a chance, I have a chance, and then I might start thinking about winning golf tournaments. ”
Local hero Justin Thomas provided one of the tournament's most thrilling moments on the 14th when he chipped in for birdie in front of a large gallery.
“It was crazy. I almost had goosebumps by the time I got to the 15th tee,” Thomas said. “It was one of the greatest moments of my career.” Thomas was 10 under.
In total, 15 players are within five strokes of the leader, and six are within two strokes of the leader. This is his one of the tightest fields of any PGA Championship in the last 30 years. In 2020, six players were within two strokes after three rounds, and in 2005, seven players were within two strokes.
The important thing about Moving Day is that just climbing the leaderboard is not a guarantee. Most notably, Friday's turmoil over Scottie Scheffler may finally have caught up with the world No. 1. He hit a double-bogey, then a bogey in a three-hole stretch to start the round and finished the day at -7, or 2-. The over-73 was his first over-par round since last August and is almost certainly no longer in the cards for a second major or Grand Slam championship.
Earlier, defending champion Brooks Koepka struggled for +3 days and could have had a worse result had he not birdied the final two holes. Koepka finished the day at -3, significantly off the pace.
Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, finished with a 3-under 68, putting him at -8 and far off the pace of the leaders. McIlroy left at least four strokes on the course with off-target putts, but he knew exactly what he missed.
“My putts were really good on Thursday, but the last few days I've felt like I've been abandoned,” McIlroy said after his round. “I need to heat up my putter again. Considering everything else, I definitely have a low putter in me again.”
Statistics show that only about six players are in a position to win. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 12 of the past 13 PGA championships were won by players who were within two strokes of the leader after 54 holes. The only exception is Justin Thomas, who won seven games in 2022, but required a 72-hole collapse from Mito Pereira. So there's always a chance.
“There are going to be players who rate themselves very low early on,” Morikawa said. “We have a lot of players who can do a lot tomorrow.”
Sunday's weather is expected to be warm and sunny. The rain and fog that has plagued this tournament since the beginning appears to be over. Some of the best players in the world have just one night left to find a way to win their second major of the year.
“This is one of the big four we're trying to win,” Hovland said. “Great history, great trophy. It's all very special. It's a great field. I just want to be a part of putting my name on that trophy.”
It's worth remembering that two of the last three PGA Championships held at Valhalla have ended in playoffs. Judging by how the leaderboard looks after three rounds, this tournament could be heading into the third round.
