LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the third day in a row on the PGA Championship, Xander Schauffele is on the high of the leaderboard.
This time, nonetheless, he has firm.
After a birdie on the par-5 18th gap Saturday, Collin Morikawa’s 4-under 67 erased Schauffele’s 1-shot lead after 36 holes. Heading into the ultimate spherical at Valhalla Golf Membership on Sunday, Schauffele and Morikawa are tied at 15 beneath, 1 stroke forward of Sahith Theegala, who additionally birdied 18 to get to 14 beneath and solo third place.
In all, 13 golfers are inside 5 photographs of the lead.
After carding only one bogey all week, Schauffele made his greatest mistake of the match on the fifteenth gap. His method from the green landed lengthy left and in a few of the deepest tough on the golf course. His first chip barely made it out and his second left him a protracted putt for bogey, which he missed.
Editor’s Picks
2 Associated
“It was straightforward going there the primary spherical. All the pieces felt tremendous straightforward,” Schauffele mentioned of his main championship record-tying 62 on Thursday. “Felt like I’ve needed to work for lots of my birdies the final two days. Have not been in a position to make many putts. I really feel like I am nonetheless hitting the ball — I’ve acquired to have a look at the stats — however really feel like I am hitting the ball fairly good. If I can simply get the putter going a bit of bit, it ought to free me up.”
For the second main in a row, Morikawa will discover himself within the ultimate pairing; he was overwhelmed by Scottie Scheffler on the Masters and completed tied for third.
“I’ve performed in opposition to all these guys. It is not like every of those guys are new,” Morikawa mentioned of his final-round method. “All of them have their accolades inside themselves, and actually anybody can go low.”
Shane Lowry confirmed as a lot Saturday.
The Irishman was simply 11 toes, 10 inches away from historical past within the third spherical. He had a birdie putt on the 18th inexperienced to shoot the primary 61 in a serious championship. However because the putt slid by on the left aspect, Lowry may solely wince and search for on the sky in bittersweet disappointment.
A share of historical past must do.
“I loved it. I loved each minute of it, clearly,” Lowry mentioned. “In all probability essentially the most upset anybody can ever be capturing 62. I knew what was at stake. Simply did not hit the ball arduous sufficient. Had it on a superb learn and simply broke away from the opening.”
Simply two days after Schauffele tied his personal document for lowest spherical at a serious with a 9-under 62 — a feat that had been achieved solely as soon as earlier than final yr — Lowry was in a position to be part of the unique group by capturing his personal 9 beneath — the fifth 62 in main championship historical past.
The 2019 Open Championship winner at Royal Portrush began his third spherical at 4 beneath, 8 photographs again of Schauffele. He made fast work of Valhalla’s entrance 9, carding six birdies, together with 4 in a row from the second gap by the sixth, for a front-nine 29.
Lowry slowed down with pars on his subsequent three holes after making the flip, however he made back-to-back birdies on the quick par-4 thirteenth gap with a 37-foot putt and the lengthy par-3 14th because of a 32-foot putt. By the tip of his historic spherical, Lowry had made 160 toes of putts.
He added one other birdie on the seventeenth gap, giving him the possibility to shoot 61 by making birdie on the par-5 18th.
Report apart, Lowry is now firmly in rivalry to win his second main heading into Sunday’s ultimate spherical, however at 13 beneath, he is not alone, both.
Movin’ On Up
Shane Lowry was T-29 on the finish of the second spherical. Over the past 25 PGA Championships, solely 3 gamers moved inside the highest 5 by 54 holes after being outdoors the highest 25 by 36 holes:• W.C. Liang, 2010 (Whistling),went from T-40 to T-4; completed T-8• Padraig Harrington, 2008 (Oakland Hills), went from T-26 to T-4; Received• Thomas Bjorn, 2005 (Baltusrol), went from T-36 to 3rd; completed T-2
With a shocking chip-in for eagle on the 18th gap that produced the loudest roar at Valhalla on Saturday, Bryson DeChambeau closed out a 4-under spherical with an exclamation level that places him 2 photographs again of the leaders.
“Exhilarating. I have never felt like that in a very long time,” DeChambeau mentioned. “The one different time I felt prefer it was once I shot 58 at Greenbrier. That was fairly thrilling there. I used to be fairly pumped.”
After a T-6 on the Masters, the 2021 U.S. Open winner is looking for his second main and his first since becoming a member of LIV Golf.
“I’ve acquired a superb probability,” DeChambeau mentioned. “I am not executing to the extent that I do know I can, however enjoying nicely sufficient to offer myself an opportunity, clearly.”
DeChambeau’s enjoying companion Saturday, Viktor Hovland, shot his second straight 66, taking him from 4 photographs again at first of the day to solely 2 photographs behind getting into Sunday. Hovland has struggled this yr, however after reuniting with former swing coach Joe Mayo not too long ago, the 26-year-old seems to have turned a nook.
One other spherical of 66 on Sunday may internet Hovland, who received the 2023 Tour Championship, his first main victory.
“I am shocked within the sense that, simply how distant I felt final week [when he tied for 24th at the Wells Fargo],” Hovland mentioned. “However I am not shocked in the way in which that I am right here as a result of, like, I by no means doubted my skills. It was simply type of my equipment was not working very nicely. However as quickly as I get the machine type of someplace on observe, I can play. However this has exceeded all expectations. That is for positive.”
After a 7 beneath on Saturday that was the second-best spherical of the day behind Lowry, Justin Rose completed at 12 beneath to place himself inside putting distance. The 2013 U.S. Open winner is joined by Ryder Cup teammate Robert MacIntyre, who carded his second 66 of the week to stay in rivalry.
This yr, Valhalla has proved to be one of many best programs in main championship historical past. Not solely has the course surrendered two scores of 62 already, however after two rounds, there have been 78 gamers beneath the par — essentially the most in main historical past.
Heading into Sunday, 15 gamers are double digits beneath par, greater than doubling the earlier excessive at a serious.
