Newtown Square (United States) (AFP) – Alex Smalley overcame a horrid start with seven birdies in the last 12 holes to seize a two-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the PGA Championship. The unheralded 29-year-old American, chasing his first PGA Tour title in only his fifth major start, fired a two-under-par 68 to stand on six-under 204 after 54 holes at Aronimink, with an epic Sunday showdown in store.
A congested leaderboard saw 14 players atop the field at some point Saturday, with 21 players finishing within four strokes of Smalley — eight of them major champions. “Looking forward to tomorrow,” Smalley said. “It’s going to be a difficult day. It’s something I haven’t experienced before. Certainly going to be a lot of thoughts going through my head.”
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Smalley made bogeys on three of the first four holes, then bounced back with four birdies in the last six holes, including a 27-foot putt at 15 and a 13-footer at 18. “It was tough. It was windy. Wasn’t giving myself a lot of good looks or even making the green at all,” Smalley said. “Was lucky to be three-over after six. Steadied the ship after that.”
Jon Rahm, the 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion, closed with a bogey to shoot 67 and join a second-place pack on 206. “I’m not overly surprised,” Rahm said of the packed leaderboard. “It’s an extremely difficult golf course… you have to play really good golf to give yourself a chance out there.” Germany’s Matti Schmid and Canada’s Nick Taylor, who each fired 65, and England’s Aaron Rai, who also shot 67 after a closing bogey, were also on 206, as was Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s very tight,” Aberg said. “There are a lot of good players within striking distance.” Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, who won his sixth major title at last month’s Masters, and Americans Patrick Reed, Xander Schauffele, and Maverick McNealy were on 207, three off the lead. McIlroy shot 66 with six birdies in the first 13 holes and a bogey at the par-three 17th. “I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into tomorrow,” McIlroy said.
Two rounds of brisk winds and tough pin placements on sloped greens had kept leaders bunched before Saturday’s breakout. “Some hole locations are a little more generous, but there are still some that have been tucked away,” McIlroy said. “We just keep learning a little bit more about the golf course and getting a little more comfortable and that’s what you’re seeing today.”
A dozen players on 208 included England’s Justin Rose, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, and Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, last week’s PGA Tour winner at Quail Hollow. Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler fired a 71 to finish on 209. “I did a good job hanging in there,” Scheffler said.
Rahm, trying to become the first Spaniard to capture the PGA crown, sank birdie putts of 22 feet at the first hole and 30 feet at the par-three fifth. “That was a fantastic round of golf and thrilled to be in a good position for tomorrow,” Rahm said. Rahm has won the past two LIV Golf season titles and has two wins and three runner-up efforts to lead this season.
Rai, who birdied six of the first 11 holes, hopes to become the first Englishman to take the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes won the first two editions in 1916 and 1919. A record $20.5 million prize purse was announced Saturday by the PGA of America, $1.5 million more than last year. The winner will collect $3.69 million, $270,000 more than Scheffler made last year, with $2.214 million to the runner-up.
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