Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa shared the PGA Championship lead after the third round on Saturday while Ireland’s Shane Lowry made an epic charge up a jam-packed leaderboard as’man in the news’ Scottie Scheffler lost ground.
Schauffele, who held the solo lead after the first two rounds, birdied the final two holes at Valhalla Golf Club en route to a three-under-par 68 that left him at 15 under on the week and level with twice major winner Morikawa (67).
“I need to really just stay in my lane and do a lot of what I’ve been doing and just worry about myself,” Olympic champion Schauffele, seeking his first major, said about his approach for Sunday’s final round.
Seven players are within four strokes of the leaders, including Sahith Theegala (67), who made five back-nine birdies and sits alone in third place.
Former British Open winner Lowry, whose 62 matched the lowest score in major championship history, LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau (67), who eagled the final hole, and Viktor Hovland (66) were two shots off the lead.
Lowry became only the fifth player in major golf history to fire a 62 in Saturday’s third round at Valhalla, his bogey-free nine-under par effort leaping him from eight strokes adrift to a prime spot in the hunt over the last 18 holes.
He had a decent chance of a 61 on the last green as his 11-foot birdie putt at the 18th rolled just left of the hole.
“I feel like tee-to-green, I’ve been as good as I’ve ever been this year, but probably the most disappointed anyone can ever be shooting 62,” said Lowry.
“I knew what was at stake. Just didn’t hit the ball hard enough. Had it on a good read and just broke away from the hole.”
“It’s nice to finally see a few going in the hole because it has been a slow year for me on the greens,” Lowry said. “I’ve sort of felt all season that if I could warm my putter up that I could be dangerous.’
“I went out with a job to do today – to get myself back in the tournament and I did that,’ added the 37-year-old Lowry who in 2019 won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Lowry’s last win was at the Zurich Classic, just a few week’s ago, along with partner and good friend Rory McIlroy.
Rory won last week at the Wells Fargo and gave credit to playing with Lowry and helping him putt a smile back on his face. Perhaps it will be the same for Lowry in his charge for his second Major.
Rory McIlroy, eager to snap a 10-year major drought, ter the fray before his putter cooled and he settled for a 68 that left him seven shots back.
“I need the putter to sort of heat up again, and with everything else it’s doing, there’s certainly another low one in me,” said world number two McIlroy.
In Sunday’s final round, Morikawa is paired with Schauffele with Lowry in the penultimate pairing with Sahith Theegala (US) who is on 14 under par in sole third place.
With Lowry, Victor Hovland (13 under) Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre, both 12 under – all within three shots of the leaders – it could be time for another European golfer to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
Schauffele was fresh off draining a 29-foot birdie putt at the 14th to open a two-shot cushion before encountering trouble at the par-four 15th where his second shot found the long rough, leading to a double-bogey.
Moments later, playing partner Morikawa’s birdie putt from five feet at the same hole circled around the cup then dropped in, giving him a one-shot lead.
“Felt like I made a couple putts, hit a couple good shots, got away with a few, still left a few out there,” said Morikawa. “A balance of everything.”
Englishman Justin Rose, who has recorded five consecutive top-15 finishes at the PGA Championship, also moved into the mix with five front-nine birdies en route to a 64 that left him three shots back of the leaders and sharing seventh place with Robert MacIntyre (66).
According to Elias Sports Bureau, 12 of the last 13 PGA Championships were won by a player who was leading or within two shots of the 54-hole lead, the lone exception coming in 2022 when Justin Thomas came back from seven shots.
Leaderboard heading into Sunday
T1. Xander Schauffele (-15)
T1. Collin Morikawa
3. Sahith Theegala (-14)
T4. Shane Lowry (-13)
T4. Viktor Hovland
T4. Bryson DeChambeau