CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is the overwhelming favorite to win the PGA Championship after shooting a 6-under 65 on Saturday to take a three-shot lead over Sweden's Alex Noren.
Scheffler started the day three shots behind second-round leader Jhonattan Vegas, but finished the third round with a flurry playing the final five holes in 5 under.
Barring a uncharacteristic meltdown by the world's No. 1 player or someone making a record-breaking run up the leaderboard, it seems Scheffler is destined to win his third major championship.
Some other big stars jettisoned up the leaderboard on Saturday too, including Jon Rahm, who shot 67 (and hit a fan in the head with approach shot) leaving him five shots back. Bryson DeChambeau briefly led the tournament on Saturday entering the 16th hole, but collapsed late playing the final three holes in 3 over and is now six shots behind.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who made the cut on the number, was unable to take advantage of moving day and shot 72. He is 13 shots behind, ending any hopes of winning all four majors in the same calendar year.
Here are some other details about the PGA Championship.
Who's leading at the PGA Championship?
The unflappable Scheffler.
If he wins, this will give him half of golf's career Grand Slam since his other two wins have come at the Masters.
Noren played the final five holes on Saturday to shoot 66, but it was overshadowed by Scheffler's late run.
J.T. Poston and Davis Riley are both four shots behind Scheffler, while Rahm and Si Woo Kim are five shots back. Among the players tied for eighth place and six shots behind are DeChambeau, Matthieu Pavon, Tony Finau, Matt Fitzpatrick and Keegan Bradley.
How can I watch the PGA Champioinship?
Coverage of the PGA Championship on Sunday goes from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on ESPN+, then moves to ESPN until 1 p.m. CBS and Paramount+ take over from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Who are the betting favorites?
Scheffler is the overwhelming favorite and now listed at -400 by BetMGM Sportsbook, meaning Las Vegas believes everyone else is playing for second place.
Noren is at +1600, while Rahm is at +1800 and DeChambeau is at +2500. Poston is listed at +3300.
What's at stake?
The winner gets the Wanamaker Trophy, which at 27 pounds is the heaviest of the four major championship trophies.
Xander Schauffele was trying to become only the third player to win the PGA Championship in consecutive years in stroke play, but he has struggled all week and barely made the cut. He is 13 shots behind Scheffler entering the final round.
Who are the players to watch?
Scheffler has everyone's attention with the three-shot lead.
There are some capable players behind him, including Rahm and DeChambeau. The problem is the deficit might be too great as Scheffler doesn't regularly shoot over par, so they'd likely need to fire something in the low 60s to even have a chance.
The lowest round this week is Vegas' 64.
Noren, who is three shots behind, is technically within striking distance. So are Poston are Riley at four back. But those players don't have the experience in big tournaments so it will be interesting to see if they fade in the final round.
What about LIV?
There are 16 players from LIV Golf in the field at the PGA Championship, the same number as last year. Half of them made it to the weekend.
Rahm and DeChambeau are in the top 10, but Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton have fallen out of contention. The 52-year-old Richard Bland of England shot 76 to fall to 2-over par for the tournament and is no longer a factor either.
What's the forecast?
Play was suspended early Saturday because of thunderstorms moving through the area and eventually the PGA of America delayed starting times and said players would be grouped in threesomes going off both tees. There is no rain in the forecast for Sunday and temperatures will be in the low 80s.
Masters jinx
Masters champion Rory McIlroy was the center of curious questions when it was revealed his driver had been tested and ruled unfit for play by the USGA before the PGA Championship started. He had to use a backup driver for the week and has been a non-factor all week.
McIlroy isn't speaking, refusing to speak to the media for three straight days.
Driver testing is common at the majors. It's rare for a Masters champion at the center of attention.
What happened last time?
Schauffele won the PGA Championship last year at Valhalla for his first major, making a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-shot victory over DeChambeau. Schauffele made the cut on the number to extend his streak to 64 tournaments, but he's 13 shots back and non-factor.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Doug Ferguson And Steve Reed, The Associated Press
