Key events
McIlroy makes his first move of the day. An almost casual birdie at 2. He joins the group at -5. Meanwhile back on 1, in the penultimate match, Nick Taylor and Jon Rahm take turns to set up birdie chances from Rai Distance. This is going to get quite hectic. Buckle up, and I might need you all to cut me some slack. Let’s go for a ride!
Aaron Rai did well to scramble a bogey on 18 last night. That effort’s been rewarded immediately this afternoon, as he screeches his iron into 1 to five feet, and makes the birdie putt! He becomes the first player to eat into Alex Smalley’s two-stroke lead at the top, moving to -5.
Back-to-back bogeys for Hideki Matsuyama, at 7 and 8, illustrate how quickly things can go south here, west of Philly. He’s back to -2. Joaquin Niemann also takes a step backwards, thinning his approach at 3 through the green then duffing the chip back. He does well to limit the damage to bogey by making an eight-foot putt, and he’s -3.
A couple of big putts by big players drop. Justin Thomas rolls in a 30-footer on 15 to join the pack at -4. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy tickles in a very missable ten-footer on 1, having muscled his second from the thick rough to the edge of the green, only to leave his bump up well short. That’s a big save and he remains at -3. But he doesn’t half like making a meal of these 1st holes at the majors, does he?
-6: Smalley
-4: Thomas (15), Smith (5), McNealy (2), Rai, Åberg, Taylor, Rahm, Schmid
-3: Kitayama (F), Matsuyama (7), Gotterup (7), Rose (4), Niemann (4), Reed (2), McIlroy (1), Schauffele (1)
Ben Kern was the only one of the 20 club professionals to make it to the weekend. A superb second round of 67 allowed him to bodyswerve the cut, and the 41-year-old general manager from Hickory Hills GC in Ohio finishes his week with a very respectable 72. He finishes the week at +10, and while that’s in 80th place of the 82 who made it through to the weekend, it’s a full eight shots better than the 82nd-placed Brian Campbell, a player good enough to win twice on the PGA Tour last year and has just finished in a tie for 24th at the Masters … so that’s no mean feat. Hats off to Ben … but then he’s finished as the Low PGA of America Golf Professional in this tournament once before, at Bellerive in 2018, so he’s an old master at this.
Scottie Scheffler sends his second at 10 to eight feet. A chance to make back-to-back birdies and send a message around the course. But it’s the same story as it’s been for the rest of the week, with the flat stick letting him down. This time it’s an overly conservative prod that never looks like reaching the cup. He taps in sadly, knowing the sands are running out. He remains at -2, and unless he can somehow gain and, for the first time this week, maintain some momentum, and go on a heater very soon, it could be all over for the pre-tournament favourite.
Here comes Rory! The reigning Masters champion is looking to become the only the fourth player in history to win a Green Jacket and lift the Wanamaker Trophy in the same calendar year. For the record, the others are Sam Snead (1949), Jack Burke Jr (1956) and Jack Nicklaus (1963 and 1975). Could a 51-year wait come to an end in the next few hours? Well, maybe, though McIlroy sending his opening tee shot into thick oomska down the right of 1 isn’t the idea start. Meanwhile up on the green, Maverick McNealy walks in a monster from downtown to move up to -4 immediately. One thing is sure about Maverick: he’s not going to die wondering. Attack, attack, attack. Promises some wild-driving fun.
Cameron Smith had missed the cut at his previous six majors. The LIV tour seemingly blunting his edge. But he snapped that miserable run this week, and he’s now officially back, baby, with birdies this morning at 2 and 4. Smith shot 64 at the Old Course to win his Open Championship four years ago, so he knows how to get it done on day four. Smith is too good to have been out of form for this long; is he about to return to the winner’s circle today? He joins the lads at -4.
Scottie Scheffler finally finds some forward momentum. But he needs the generous par-five 9th to source it. It’s played the easiest hole on the course this week, so the world number one will have expected the birdie he makes. As such, there’s no real celebration as he hits the turn in 34, moving up the standings to -2. Meanwhile it’s back-to-back birdies for Hideki Matsuyama, at 4 and 5, and he really should make it three, but tugs nervously at a short putt on 6. Still, that’s whipped the 2021 Masters champion up to -4, where he’s joined in short order by Joaquin Niemann, who birdies 1 and 2.
-6: Smalley
-4: Matsuyama (6), Niemann (2), Rai, Åberg, Taylor, Rahm, Schmid
-3: Kitayama (F), Thomas (13), Gotterup (5), Smith (3), Rose (2), Reed, McNealy, McIlroy, Schauffele
Parish noticeboard. Shane Lowry finished his week as he started it, with a fine round of 68. He never really got over the top into the water at 17 on Friday; that Cognizant Classic collapse cuts deep. He’s +2 for his week’s work. Matt Wallace won’t become the first Englishman to win since Jim Barnes in 1919, but he ends his tournament with a 68 as well; he’s +2 too. A final round of 74 for last weekend’s nearly man at the Truist, Alex Fitzpatrick, who departs his maiden Stateside major at +8. And Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald finishes a very respectable week in style, with a 69 that puts the 48-year-old veteran at +7.
While we’re on the subject of tournament records, let’s give fair measure to Kurt Kitayama. His round of 63 ties the lowest final-round score at any PGA Championship, set by Brad Faxon at Riviera in 1995. Faxon stays top of the list, however, on account of Riviera being a par 71, so his round was eight under par, compared to Kitayama’s seven. But we’re splitting hairs here. Kitayama deserves his flowers.
Justin Thomas knows a thing or two about chasing down a big 54-hole lead at the PGA Championship. He won from seven back at the 54-hole mark in 2022, breaking the heart of Mito Pereira and tying a record set by John Mahaffey, who overhauled Tom Watson in 1978. He only had six players between himself and glory that day, mind; Mahaffey just had four. JT started just six back today at level par, but would have to scoot past 31 players if he’s to win. So statistically that’s pretty unlikely. But still, a stat’s a stat’s a stat, ain’t that the truth. Anyway, after bogey at 3, he’s bounced back with birdies at 5, 7, 9 and 11 to move into a tie for seventh, whatever that’s worth currently, at -3. Yesterday’s 72 almost certainly going to cost him on a week of small margins.
Matt Fitzpatrick cards 65
It didn’t quite click for the 2022 US Open winner and reigning Heritage champion on the first three days. Never quite in it, never completely out of it, with rounds of 70, 72, 71, a slightly underwhelming performance by one of the pre-tournament favourites. But he’s found some form just in time, if not for a tilt at the title, then a good wheech up the leaderboard. A blemish-free final round of 65, with birdies at 6, 7, 10, 13 and 16, and Sheffield’s finest (sorry Danny Willett, apologies Brother Alex) ends the week at -2.
Harris English was one of the form horses in the majors last year. Second place at the Open, a tie for second in this Championship, both behind Scottie Scheffler, both admittedly a fair distance back. But second place is second place, and you can throw in a tie for 12th at the Masters as well. This year he tied for 30th at Augusta, and he’s keeping this pleasing trend going here. Early birdies at 2 and 3, and now on 6 he sends his drive down the left of the fairway, allowing him the opportunity of attacking a pin tucked away on the right. Which he does, stroking an iron to five feet. It’s something of a disappointment when he then misses the putt, and yes I did start writing this entry in full expectation of his making it, and joining the group in second place. As is, he tidies up for par and remains at -3. But it’s nevertheless still a fine start from the 36-year-old from Georgia.
Scottie Scheffler hasn’t had the start he wanted. The world number one started the day at -1, in a tie for 23rd, and no player has ever won a major from outside the top 20 after 54 holes. A flyer out of the blocks was almost essential, and birdie at 2 helped his cause, but his tee shot at the par-three 5th toppled into the fringe at the back of the green, and he hit a slightly hot chip coming back out. The ball rolled ten feet past, and he couldn’t make the par saver coming back. He’s now level for his round through 6, still at -1 with a third of his round – and two-thirds of the theoretically easier nine – gone.
… so this is where Kitayama currently sits on the current leaderboard. A fine morning’s shift.
-6: Smalley
-4: Rai, Åberg, Taylor, Rahm, Schmid
-3: Kitayama (F), English (4), Lindberg (2), Matsuyama (2), Reed, McNealy, McIlroy, Schauffele
-2: M Fitzpatrick (16), Thomas (10), Hillier (8), Gotterup (2), Lee (1), Greyserman (1), Griffin, Smith, Kaymer, Cauley, Rose, Niemann, Reitan, Kirk
-1: Young (9), Harrington (7), Scheffler (5), Puig (5), Fowler (5), Burns (3), Harman (2)
Kitayama shoots 63
It was once the holy grail in the majors. Now it’s one off the men’s record of 62. But it’s still quite the feat, even if Aronimink is only a par 70. Kurt Kitayama went out in 30 this morning, illustrating the aforementioned benefit of an early start in calm conditions, then came back in 33, a birdie at the last the final flourish. Finishing his week at -4, it’s probably not going to be enough to better his PGA Championship best, a tie for fourth in 2023, but it’s been a great week for the 33-year-old Californian, who has an outside chance of finishing in the top ten at a major for only the second time. How he’ll rue yesterday’s collapse around the turn: a run of 7-5-5-6 between holes 9 and 12 that cost him six strokes. The ifs and buts of a major championship.
Let’s start with the weather report. It’s going to be the warmest day of the week, so expect the course to get firmer and faster as the day goes on. Given the contours and kinks of the fairways and greens, that’ll be a double-edged sword. The wind has been pretty benign so far today, but it’s expected to get up as we progress, so the earlier starters have had an advantage. All in all, similar to yesterday, when scoring became progressively harder. Goodness knows how this is likely to pan out as a result, but if someone breaks from the pack and posts a score mid-afternoon, things could get interesting for the final pairings.
Preamble
At the risk of becoming a hostage to fortune, there’s a fair chance this is going to end in a play-off, isn’t there. So with 47 players starting the day within seven shots of the lead – and the record comeback from a 54-hole deficit by a winner at the PGA Championship is seven – let’s not concern ourselves too much with the possible outcomes, narratives and permutations. Instead, let’s just go with the flow. Here’s how the top of the leaderboard looked after 54 holes …
-6: Alex Smalley
-4: Matti Schmid, Nick Taylor, Jon Rahm, Aaron Rai, Ludvig Åberg
-3: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed, Maverick McNealy
-2: Kristoffer Reitan, Chris Kirk, Justin Rose, Joaquin Niemann, Martin Kaymer, Bud Cauley, Ben Griffin, Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee, Max Greyserman, Hideki Matsuyama, Chris Gotterup
-1: Brian Harman, Mikael Lindberg, Sam Burns, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Harris English, Scottie Scheffler, David Puig
… and this is when everyone has gone / will go out. All times BST. It’s on!
1240 Casey Jarvis, Brian Campbell
1249 Luke Donald, Ben Kern
1258 Collin Morikawa, Elvis Smylie
1307 Kurt Kitayama, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
1316 Ryan Gerard, Jason Day
1325 Alex Fitzpatrick, Matt Wallace
1334 Rasmus Hojgaard, Sami Valimaki
1343 Shane Lowry, John Parry
1352 Christiaan Bezuidenhout, William Mouw
1401 Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren
1410 Corey Conners, Ryo Hisatsune
1419 Matt Fitzpatrick, Sahith Theegala
1428 Keith Mitchell, Sam Stevens
1437 Daniel Berger, Daniel Brown
1446 Michael Brennan, Johnny Keefer
1455 Ryan Fox, Jhonattan Vegas
1515 Denny McCarthy, Chandler Blanchet
1525 Haotong Li, Kazuki Higa
1535 Jordan Spieth, Rico Hoey
1545 Stephan Jaeger, Taylor Pendrith
1555 Justin Thomas, Aldrich Potgieter
1605 Si Woo Kim, Cameron Young
1615 Andrew Putnam, Andrew Novak
1625 Dustin Johnson, Daniel Hillier
1635 Padraig Harrington, Tom Hoge
1645 Nicolai Hojgaard, Michael Kim
1705 Scottie Scheffler, David Puig
1715 Rickie Fowler, Harris English
1725 Sam Burns, Brooks Koepka
1735 Brian Harman, Mikael Lindberg
1745 Hideki Matsuyama, Chris Gotterup
1755 Min Woo Lee, Max Greyserman
1805 Ben Griffin, Cameron Smith
1815 Martin Kaymer, Bud Cauley
1825 Justin Rose, Joaquin Niemann
1835 Kristoffer Reitan, Chris Kirk
1855 Patrick Reed, Maverick McNealy
1905 Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
1915 Aaron Rai, Ludvig Aberg
1925 Nick Taylor, Jon Rahm
1935 Alex Smalley, Matti Schmid
