Charlotte (AFP) – Jhonattan Vegas teed off with a two-stroke lead in Saturday’s storm-delayed third round of the PGA Championship, with major champions making a charge at Quail Hollow. The 40-year-old Venezuelan, never a top-20 finisher in 16 major starts, sat on eight-under 134 for 36 holes, with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, South Korean Kim Si-woo, and France’s Matthieu Pavon sharing second on six-under. It’s the first time no Americans were in the top four at a major after 36 holes on US soil since the 1913 US Open.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion, and fellow American Max Homa shared fifth on five-under 137, hoping to extend a run of nine consecutive US winners at the PGA Championship. Vegas, ranked 70th, fired a major career low 64 on Thursday, making birdies on five of his last six holes to seize the lead, and shot 70 on Friday despite a closing double bogey to keep the top spot.
Related news
A severe thunderstorm postponed the scheduled 8:15 a.m. (1215 GMT) start and forced organizers to re-draw the groups into trios off the first and 10th tees, starting at 11:43 a.m. in a bid to finish the round by sunset. The rain-soaked course, already hit by showers for four days before the tournament began, offered early birdies to past major winners despite windy conditions.
Spain’s Jon Rahm, a two-time major champion, birdied the first hole on a 13-foot putt and third from 20 feet to reach four-under overall before falling back with a bogey at the par-three sixth. Reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau made a 30-foot birdie putt at the first to reach four-under. Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune holed out from 39 feet from a bunker at the par-three fourth to reach four-under, where Sweden’s Alex Noren was at after a birdie at the second.
World number two Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters last month to complete a career Grand Slam, and defending champion Xander Schauffele were on their way from the practice area to the first tee when the morning storm delay struck. They ended up teeing off five hours and 13 minutes later from the 10th tee alongside American Chris Kirk in the redrawn groups. Four-time major winner McIlroy and Schauffele, also the reigning British Open champion, scrambled over Friday’s final holes to make the cut on the number at 143, nine adrift of Vegas on a course where McIlroy has won four times and owns the course record of 61.
© 2024 AFP
