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Key events
A fast start for the 2011 champion Keegan Bradley. He whistles his approach at 1 pin high, and strokes in a confident 12-footer for an opening birdie. He’s -10 and probably too far back … but then there’s certainly a very low score out there today, a fact Kurt Kitayama is currently demonstrating. Having just made four birdies in his previous six holes, the 34-year-old Californian, who tied for fourth last year, very nearly makes an albatross on the par-five 10th! He creams a fairway wood into the green, the ball seemingly rolling straight into the cup, only to turn a little to the left at the last. Wow. That would have been something else. Sadly the ball rolls eight feet past, and he can’t make the eagle putt coming back, but he’s still four under for his round today and -9 overall.
Rory McIlroy started the day with an extremely slim chance of storming to the top this afternoon. He’s now shifted into pipe-dream territory, having failed to get up and down from a bunker at 1 to slip back to -7. He’s been overtaken on the leaderboard by the defending champion Brooks Koepka, who is finishing the defence of his trophy in style; five birdies and just one bogey through 15, and he’s currently -8 for the week. Yesterday’s shoddy 74, and an uncharacteristically wild seven on the 10th on Friday, have cost him dear.
Yep, there should be some low scoring out there today. It’s warm and calm, and they’re happening on a course that’s been there for the taking pretty much all week. Grayson Murray, who yesterday came so close to making an albatross hole-in-one on the truncated par-four 4th, has finished his week with a 67; Dustin Johnson went one better by shooting 66. Both end the week at -6 overall.
One of the highlights of Jordan Smith’s round was an eagle at 13. That came about by holing out from 111 yards. But it’s worth noting that they’ve moved the tee box up on that hole, making it a risk-reward par-four. Alejandro Tosti showed the rest of the field that fortune can favour the brave, driving the green in spectacular style to set up an eagle of his own. The 27-year-old Argentinian ended the day with a 68 and finishes his debut major at level par.
We’ve already had a couple of 62s this week. We’ve now had a second 64. Justin Rose shot one yesterday; this morning it’s another Englishman, Jordan Smith, who comes back in 31 strokes to post a round of seven under. He ends his week on -7 as well, and is the early clubhouse leader. The 31-year-old from Bath, who finished tied for ninth on his PGA Championship debut in 2017, won’t stay at the top of course, but that’s earned him a few extra pennies today. One of the rounds of the week!
Preamble
Going into the final round of the 1978 PGA Championship, John Mahaffey was seven shots back. He still managed to overhaul Tom Watson to lift the Wanamaker Trophy, still the greatest comeback in tournament history to date. Using that as a benchmark, all of the following players are in with a shout of victory at Valhalla this afternoon:
-15: Morikawa, Schauffele
-14: Theegala
-13: Lowry, DeChambeau, Hovland
-12: Rose, MacIntyre
-11: Burmester
-10: Detry, Eckroat, English, Finau, Thomas, Hodges
-9: Moore, Bradley, Herbert
-8: Matsuyama, Kim, McIlroy, Henley, Spieth
The outliers among them realistically have little chance … but then again there have already been two record-breaking 62s this week, so if someone posts low early doors, you just never know. In any case, it’s been a while since we’ve gone into the Sunday of a major with so many players in with a genuine shout. This promises to be a final round for the ages, maybe even with a play-off tacked onto the end of it. Note to all competitors: NO PROCESSION PLEASE. THANK YOU! Today’s starting times are here. It’s on!
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