Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The third round of the PGA Championship had numerous players launching up the leaderboard while others fell.
The third round of the PGA Championship was relatively quiet after workers, fans and PGA Tour players dealt with a chaotic and tragic Friday morning at Valhalla Golf Club.
However, the day began with another delay, this time due to fog, which led to later start times. Round two finished by mid-morning, and moving day officially began at 11:30 a.m. ET. Guys went out in threesomes on both sides of the course, but everyone completed their third rounds before dark.
Saturday’s round earned its moving day nickname as various guys jumped up or fell down the leaderboard. Some made the most of the soft conditions, while others could not get anything to go their way.
Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa lead by one heading into the final day.
Schauffele looks to go wire to wire while Morikawa attempts to complete the third leg of the career grand slam.
Winners:
Sahith Theegala
Sahith Theegala made the most of his day on Saturday. He fired off a 4-under 67 and sits in solo third at 14-under, one shot behind the leaders.
One of the best moments from his round came at the 15th, where he chipped his ball in from the rough. It gave him his fifth birdie of the day.
The 26-year-old continues to gain confidence. His 67 on Saturday was a massive momentum booster for him at a major championship, and he seems happy to be in this position.
“It means everything. This is why we play—to get in contention late on Sunday,” Theegala said.
“I haven’t been in this spot before. My other nice spot in a major was a mega back door. It’s going to be a different feel tomorrow. I felt a lot of those feelings today and was able to overcome the nerves and stick to my process. I’ve been playing so well, so I want to keep it rolling, and I’m going to have a lot of fun tomorrow. I’ll be nervous and it’s going to be great to embrace those nerves because it’s a feeling you don’t get often.”
Shane Lowry and Team Europe
Shane Lowry tied the scoring record as he shot a bogey-free 9-under 62 on Saturday. He matched Schauffele’s Thursday score to give this tournament a pair of 62s—the lowest in major championship history.
The Irishman shot 20-plus spots up the leaderboard to put himself into contention. He will play with Theegala on Sunday as he looks to win his second career major.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Meanwhile, numerous other Europeans are in the mix at Valhalla Golf Club. Lowry, along with three of his fellow Ryder Cup teammates sit inside the top 10. Viktor Hovland shot a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, giving him back-to-back 66s in the event. The Norweigan golfer continues to find immediate results since Hovland and swing coach Joe Mayo reunited.
Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre both sit at 12-under after impressive rounds. Rose shot the second-lowest score of the day with a 7-under 64, while McIntyre carded a 5-under 66.
Team Europe is right in the mix and could steal this second major from the Americans.
Bryson DeChambeau
Bryson DeChambeau’s exhilarating hole-out for an eagle was one of the best moments of the championship. It shot him up the leaderboard to tie Lowry and Hovland at 13-under.
“Exhilarating. I haven’t felt like that in a long time,” DeChambeau said about his hole-out.
“The only other time I felt like it was when I shot 58 at Greenbrier. That was pretty exciting there. I was pretty pumped.”
He produced a Tiger Woods-like fist pump to celebrate.
His 4-under 67 has him two shots behind the leaders. Not to mention, DeChambeau could give LIV Golf its second straight PGA Championship after Brooks Koepka won it in 2023 at Oak Hill.
Losers:
Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler shot his first over-par round since last August. He plummeted down the leaderboard without Ted Scott on his bag. Could it have been the effects of what happened on Friday lingering around, or did he have a bad day?
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Regardless, he shot a 2-over 73 on Saturday, starting the day with a double-bogey on the 2nd and back-to-back bogeys on the 3rd and 4th holes.
After he shot a 66 on Friday, many thought Scheffler would contend. But Scott left for the round to attend his daughter’s graduation. He will be back on Scheffler’s bag for Sunday’s round.
Scheffler sits at 7-under and seven shots behind the leaders. Justin Thomas overcame that deficit a couple of years ago in Oklahoma. Yet, Valhalla is too soft and gettable for something like that to happen.
Navigating Valhalla
Getting around Valhalla can be tricky if one is unfamiliar with the track. Not to mention, the cell service gets worse the further away you are from the clubhouse. Fans have congested the walkways. Like most major championships, they are packed around the greens, but it feels discombobulated all the time.
The concession areas are clustered together, and multiple points across the course seem to be too far away from everything.
While the amenities are plentiful, there could have been a better layout.
These instances are more reasons why Valhalla may not be the best track for a major championship but potentially a regular PGA Tour stop.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy also fell down the leaderboard on moving day. He sits in a tie for 19th on the leaderboard as he carded a 3-under 68. He started his day with a bogey on the 1st but got red hot through the middle of his round.
The Northern Irishman fired off five birdies in seven holes. However, he would cough up two shots on 14 and 16. The 4-time major winner did birdie the 18th, but he seems too far down the leaderboard to make a run at the title on Sunday.
It appears the major championship drought will continue for McIlroy.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
