A PGA Championship missing star power got the best in golf Saturday when Scottie Scheffler delivered a clinic over the closing stretch at Quail Hollow for a 6-under 65 and a three-shot lead going into the final round in Charlotte, N.C.
Scheffler started his big run with a 3-wood to just inside three feet on the reachable par-4 14th for an eagle, causing so much hysteria that Bryson DeChambeau had to back off his putt across the lake at the 17th.
It ended with an 8-iron from the seam of a divot to just inside 10 feet for birdie on the 18th, creating even more space between Scheffler and Alex Noren, who had a 66 and gets his first shot in a final group along the No. 1 player in the world.
DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champion who has been a major force at golf’s biggest events, briefly took the lead with a birdie on the par-5 15th. And then it all came undone.
He missed a four-foot par putt on the 16th. He found the water on the par-3 17th — the cheer for Scheffler made him back off a 25-foot bogey putt that he eventually missed — and he had to scramble for par to salvage 69 that felt much better.
DeChambeau was three behind when he finished, six behind when Scheffler got done with his masterful performance by playing the final five holes in 5-under par.
The third round was delayed by morning storms, forcing a change in tee times to threesomes off both tees that didn’t start until shortly before noon. And then it became a game of musical chairs for the lead. Nine players had at least a share of the lead at one point.
One of them was two-time major champion Jon Rahm, who has not seriously contended in the four majors he has played since joining LIV Golf.
“Hard to express how hungry I may be for a major, about as hungry as anybody can be in this situation,” Rahm said. “Very happy to be in this position.”
He finished nearly two hours before Scheffler and figured he would be at least one shot behind going into the final round. “This golf course is tricky and one shot is nothing on 18 holes,” Rahm said. He now faces a five-shot deficit, but armed with growing confidence in his game.
Scheffler, remarkably, posted the low score of any round in a major with his 65, which moved him to 11-under 202 as he goes for a third major.
The 3-wood on the 14th was what got it started. The up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 15th gave him the lead for the first time in the championship. Scheffler was equally pleased with the finish, wanting the proper conclusion to such an important round.
He holed an 18-foot birdie putt for one of only six birdies on the day at the 17th, and then finished it off with a closing birdie, each with a slight show of emotion.
“Big emotion for me,” Scheffler said with a smile. “It was an important time in the round. I wanted to finish off the round the right way. I hit some good shots down the stretch.”
Masters champion Rory McIlroy and defending PGA champion Xander Schauffele had a long day, nothing to do with each posting a 72. They were supposed to tee off at 8:25 a.m. and likely would be finished in time for lunch.
With the change to threesomes of both tees, they didn’t start until 1:38 p.m. and were on the other side of Quail Hollow as all the action was on the closing stretch.
Davis Riley, whose game has been rounding into form since he battled a two-way miss at the start of the year, made three straight birdies around the turn and two more on the scorable 14th and 15th holes for a 67. He was at 7-under 206 along with North Carolina native J.T. Poston, who birdied his last hole for a 68.
Rahm was tied for fifth with Si Woo Kim and Jhonattan Vegas, who had two-shot leads after 18 holes and 36 holes and began Saturday with two straight bogeys. But he steadied himself and was still in the mix until driving into the water on the 15th for bogey and finishing out his 73 with a three-putt going on the 18th.
Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the top Canadian. He’s in an eight-way tie for 23rd at 2 under — nine shots back of Scheffler. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is in an eight-way tie for 49th at 2 over.
DeChambeau played in the final group at the Masters with McIlroy, and he played bogey-free through 15 holes until a finish that did more damage than he realized.
“It cost me three shots and that’s what happens here at Quail Hollow,” he said.
It left DeChambeau, Rahm and everyone else in a tough spot trying to make up ground on Scheffler, whose last tournament was an eight-shot victory in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
