Published On: Sun, May 18th, 2025

PGA Championship: Scottie Scheffler hits rich form to surge into lead

Scottie Scheffler holds a three-shot lead over the field heading into the final round of the US PGA
Scottie Scheffler holds a three-shot lead over the field heading into the final round of the US PGA – Getty Images/Andrew Redington

Scottie Scheffler is not taking any prisoners here at the 107th US PGA Championship. Bizarrely charged by the police at this event in 2024, the world No 1 effortlessly charged past his rivals on a commanding Saturday.

A year on from his traffic violation nightmare – when he was arrested and placed in a cell before the accusations were thrown out – the Texan pressed on the accelerator, playing the last five holes here in five-under, and took complete control of this major.

The only people who must feel they are in handcuffs are the poor pros who must try to chase him down. A devastating final hour of play from Scheffler has made their task seem almost forlorn. Not only do they require a blue light but probably Max Verstappen’s Red Bull as well. He shot a 65 – remarkably containing three bogeys – to move to 11 under and holds a three-shot advantage that nobody really expects him to lose. Not now that Scheffler looks like Scheffler again after a so-so start to the campaign.

Of course his pursuers will not simply concede the Texan his third major title in four years – but his first that would not be a green jacket – and after an enthralling day in which Quail Hollow fairly bashed down its detractors and surely proved that it is an appropriate venue for a top-class major, they might take hope from Quail’s ability to switch the narrative in a few elevated heartbeats.

On eight under is Alex Noren, with Davis Riley and J.T. Poston on seven under. Then comes Spain’s Jon Rahm on six under and maybe he is Scheffler’s chief threat. Although in on five under, Bryson DeChambeau will be bullish about his own candidacy. Yet, in truth, he should bemoan 60 minutes in which he allowed Scheffler to slip into overdrive.

For so long, it seemed that DeChambeau would be the star of the third round, as he high-fived the fans and waved his arms, urging for their support. He went through the first 15 holes in five under and at that stage was leading. But then he was ensnared in “The Green Mile”, the three fearsome closing holes that define this examination.

He bogeyed the 16th, double-bogeyed the 17th – the par three where he was aghast at finding water – and was forced to be content with a 69 and a five-under total. But by then Scheffler was on the move in empathic style. First came the eagle on the 305-yard par-fourth 14th, after he drove it to four feet. A birdie on the par-five 15th was also inevitable, as was the disdainful manner in which he treated The Green Mile. Birdies on the 17th and 18th reduced it to a mere evening stroll. He was serene, with no-one else in sight.

Bryson Dechambeau high-fiving spectators at the US PGA Championship
Bryson DeChambeau was pumped up, high-fiving spectators, until a double-bogey tarnished his round – AP/George Walker IV

Rahm will be glad that is going into the final day of a major in the top 10 for the first time since his £350 million transfer to LIV Golf 18 months ago. In that period, the 30-year-old has been repeatedly asked if it was a mistake to jump ship, considering the fact that he was the reigning Masters champion when he decamped and had racked up four other top fives in majors in the preceding two seasons, including his first major victory at the 2021 US Open.

The theory was that the 54-hole format and team aspect of LIV had not prepared him sufficiently for the events that truly mattered. The argument did not make too much sense, considering DeChambeau’s major form and Brooks Koepka winning the 2023 US PGA and coming second behind Rahm at Augusta.

But Rahm was obliged to fend off the queries regardless, pointing out that there were technical and physical reasons for his shortfall. And because of last year’s withdrawal from the US Open with a foot complaint, we are only talking about four majors out of the frame when he arrived here.

But now Rahm is back in shot and if he somehow prevails then he will be in technicolour. The Wanamaker Trophy would mean he would need the Claret Jug to emulate Rory McIlroy’s achievement last month of completing the career grand slam. All roads would lead Rahm to Royal Portrush in July – and he happens to have won two Irish Opens on links courses in the Emerald Isle.

Naturally, the Basque cannot allow himself to think that far ahead. Not with Scheffler in this mood. But it will be a fascinating afternoon’s viewing for Luke Donald, the Europe Ryder Cup captain, as not only is Rahm in the hunt, but Noren is emerging as a candidate for a second appearance in the blue and gold.

This has been an astonishing performance thus far by the 42-year-old, who was a member of Thomas Bjorn’s winning team in Paris in 2018. Noren made his return to competition last week for the first time since last October, after suffering multiple injuries. Known as perhaps the hardest worker on Tour – Noren is famous for practising on the range until his hands bleed – he is a 10-time winner on the DP World Tour and is nobody’s mug.

Neither, of course, is Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, and is alongside DeChambeau and France’s Matthieu Pavon. Matt Wallace is on four-under although the chances of the Londoner, or indeed the Yorkshireman, delivering to England its first US PGA crown in 106 years are, alas, remote.

Donald will have to finish off his own challenge before he can settle down to see a denouement that could have a big impact on his team for the match at Bethpage Black in September. The 47-year-old continues to fare commendably, shooting a 73 to stand on one over and inside the top 50.

McIlroy is one back, and again he struggled with his driver. On Friday, it came to light that the world No 2 was forced to change the head on his favoured weapon, because it was proven non-conforming after failing a random test on Tuesday.

After originally refusing to comment, the PGA of America – which runs this event – finally issued a statement on Saturday afternoon, which exonerated McIlroy without actually naming the Northern Irishman. “Finding driver heads that have crept over the line of conformance is not an unusual occurrence, especially for clubs that are hit thousands of times over a long period of time,” Kerry Haigh, the chief championship officer, said. “Neither the USGA nor the PGA of America have any concerns about player intent.” McIlroy did nothing wrong but for the third day running declined to speak to the media. He clearly has nothing to hide, so why the silence?

12:29 AM BST

Fitzpatrick holds nerve at last

Fitzpatrick, Pavon, Vegas are part of three-ball on the final hole. The Frenchman misses a long putt to drop another shot, his third in succession, to undermine what was a hugely promising championship. Fitzpatrick gets up and down from an awkward position to save his par, staying at five under alongside Pavon. Vegas completes the third round with a cruel bogey, sending him back to six under. He is still in contention, just, in joint-fifth. 

12:19 AM BST

Schleffer closes with another birdie!

Schleffer hits yet another birdie on the last, finishing on 11 under after a round of 65. He has a healthy three-shot lead over Noren in second place, and four players another stroke back. Having bogeyed the 13th hole, the American gathered himself and claimed five strokes in as many holes in a stunning performance. The championship is now in his hands.

12:12 AM BST

Schleffer thriving on lead

Schleffer appears to thrive on leading the field where other players might falter under the pressure that comes with it. He finds a shallow divot on the 18th fairway after another superbly clean tee shot. With the pin 166 yards away, his iron shot then lands almost perpendicular to the hole, testament to a pitch-perfect read of both the wind and distance. Not to mention his expert handling of the challenge the divot presented. Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, holes his putt to save par.

12:05 AM BST

Fitzpatrick manages 17th well

The par-three 17th has given up just three birdies today, as befits its status as the toughest hole on the course. Fitzpatrick, having landed his tee shot on it just off the green, does a good job of getting his chip to hold up, rather than running to the drink. On four under for the championship, the Englishman is left with what should be a manageable uphill putt. 

11:58 PM BST

Schleffer finds another gear

Schleffer hits another birdie! The American is playing with remarkable precision, moving to 10 under on the 17th after capitalising on another brilliant tee shot. His playing partner Kim then makes up for a poor chip by holing his putt from off the green, reaching seven under.

11:55 PM BST

Pavon slips back on 16th

Pavon drops a shot on the 16th, the left-to-right slope on the green defeating him just as it has done many other players over the past two days. The Frenchman, 32, has had a poor season, having not finished inside the top 40 of his 13 completed events. His form here, however, is far closer to what he is capable of. He is seven under, two off the lead. 

11:47 PM BST

Watch: Schleffer’s stunning tee shot

Here’s the brilliant tee shot from Schleffer that set up an eagle on the 14th:

11:44 PM BST

McIlroy struggling for momentum

Schleffer misses his 15-feet birdie putt on the tricky 16th green, which has fooled players all day even without the wind. McIlroy makes his par on the same hole, raising a cheer from the crowd, but the Northern Irishman can only wearily acknowledge the applause. Rather than inject the momentum into his round that might have kept the Masters champion in contention, he has remained on one over par on the back nine and almost certainly is out of the running. 

11:38 PM BST

Vegas slips up at worst moment

Vegas has bogeyed the 15th, the worst time to drop a shot with the ‘Green Mile’ of the devilishly difficult final three holes beckoning him. The 40-year-old is back to seven under, two off the lead.

11:34 PM BST

DeChambeau: I need to play wind better

DeChambeau says the double bogey on the 17th has tarnished his round unfairly.

“I played really good,” he says. “I’m really disappointed with the way it ended. It could have been a birdie [on the 17th] but he wind flipped and went in off the right more than I was expecting.

He admits that the conditions have highlighted a weakness playing in windy conditions. “I need to manage the wind a bit better. It’s been a struggling point in my entire career. Fly the ball so high – I need to control the curvature.

“If I can do that maybe I’ll have a chance at the British Open!”

11:28 PM BST

Schleffer edges ahead

Schleffer follows up his eagle with another birdie on the 15th to move on to nine-under, one clear of the field. The American, who finished tied for second two years ago, has struck rich form. 

11:25 PM BST

Noren bounces back from injury

Only four Europeans have won the US PGA, albeit two of them twice in Rory McIlroy (2012 and 2014) and Jim Barnes (1916 and 1918). Noren, 42, has put himself in a superb position to join that elite group despite having scarcely had time to prepare for the tournament. He tore his hamstring and a gluteal muscle in January and played his first event in six months only last week.

11:16 PM BST

Vegas keeps eyes on prize

Vegas, the unheralded Venezuelan, is maintaining his unexpectedly superb form from the opening two rounds. His birdie on the 14th puts him even par for the round but, more importantly, into the joint-lead on eight under.

On the 15th, Schleffer and Kim lay up adjacent to one another, just off the green, having been 252 yards back.

11:10 PM BST

DeChambeau finishes three back

DeChambeau finishes with a gutsy par, giving him a 69 and leaving him on five under. It is at least two shots short of where the American would surely have liked to finish, but he is well-placed nonetheless heading into the final day.

11:02 PM BST

Watch: Rahm hits seven birdies

Rahm also made light work of the wind in his 67, which included seven birdies – and three in a row from the 14th.

10:59 PM BST

Schleffer eases into join lead

Schleffer sinks his gimme putt to join Noren on eight under. Off the tee, the American had taken advantage of the wind superbly, drawing the ball from right to left with a level of control few players could match.

10:55 PM BST

Noren moves one shot clear

The Swede finishes with a birdie to leave him with a superb 66 for the round, giving him the outright lead on eight under. Noren claimed four birdies in his final five holes.

10:52 PM BST

DeChambeau drops two shots

DeChambeau, having gone astray with his tee shot to the par-three 17th, then misses his long putt for a bogey. On the perilously sloping green, he then manages to sink a tricky putt for a double bogey, moving him from joint-leader to equal-ninth. Four holes back, Schleffer hits the sweetest tee shot to the green.

10:46 PM BST

Schleffer slips back

Schleffer is about to drop back from the leading group, having missed his par putt on the 13th, the result of overshooting his chip on to the green. On the same hole, Kim sinks a birdie to move to six under alongside his playing partner.

10:38 PM BST

DeChambeau slips back

DeChambeau misses his putt on 16, dropping back to seven under, just as Noren joins him at the same score – five players now share the lead. DeChambeau raises his eyes to heaven in frustration at his attempt at what was a relatively easy putt.

10:35 PM BST

Fitzpatrick holding his own

Fitzpatrick, on the seventh, hits a great approach to the 12th. The Englishman is tied for fourth on six-under and even for the day, making him Britain’s best-placed competitor, two shots ahead of compatriot Wallace.

10:31 PM BST

Watch: DeChambeau’s 366-yard drive

DeChambeau is driving with his usual brutality:

10:27 PM BST

Schleffer rewarded for superb approach

Schleffer, having dropped a shot on the previous hole, reads a right-to-left on the 12th green to return immediately to seven under. The birdie is reward for a stunning approach shot and puts him one shot from the lead.

10:23 PM BST

Riley impressing with putter

Riley just misses with a long putt on the 16th that would have given him a share of the lead, finishing inches from the hole. The American has performed excellently around the greens today.

10:20 PM BST

Rahm takes clubhouse lead

Rahm closes with par on the 18th, finishing with a superb 67 to put him six under for the tournament, currently three shots shy of the leader DeChambeau. The latter is three holes back.

10:17 PM BST

DeChambeau takes lead

DeChambeau takes the lead, claiming a shot on the 15th to go eight under, sinking an easy putt after a superb save from the bunker. With the American’s encouragement, the crowd roars its approval.

10:15 PM BST

Rahm hits spectator

Here’s Rahm making peace with a fan after his drive hit him.

10:14 PM BST

Rahm lays up on 18th

Rahm approaches the final green in pretty good shape, landing on the green, but without the back spin that would have propelled the ball towards the hole. He looks set to claim the outright clubhouse lead, if (probably) only briefly.

10:09 PM BST

McIlroy claims a shot

McIlroy hits a birdie on the ninth, bringing him to within eight of the lead, a considerable distance but not insurmountable with a day and a half to play. He will need a surge towards the clubhouse now to pull it off. 

10:15 PM BST

Rahm hits spectator

Here’s Rahm making peace with a fan after his drive hit him.

10:14 PM BST

Rahm lays up on 18th

Rahm approaches the final green in pretty good shape, landing on the green, but without the back spin that would have propelled the ball towards the hole. He looks set to claim the outright clubhouse lead, if (probably) only briefly.

10:09 PM BST

McIlroy claims a shot

McIlroy hits a birdie on the ninth, bringing him to within eight of the lead, a considerable distance but not insurmountable with a day and a half to play. He will need a surge towards the clubhouse now to pull it off. 

10:01 PM BST

Dropped shot for Rahm

The Spaniard is punished for an errant tee shot as he cannot sink his par putt and that bogey drops him back to six under. He has one more hole to play; the 18th.

09:55 PM BST

Four-way tie at the top

DeChambeau lands his birdie putt on 14 and joins Scheffler, Rahm and Vegas on seven under.

Bryson DeChambeau high-fives fans
Great tussle at the top of the leaderboard – Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

09:51 PM BST

Silky hands from Bryson

On the par-four 14th, DeChambeau goes to the right of the green with his tee shot and his ball has sat down in some thick rough. It is a tough lie but he does a great job with his chip, giving him a chance of a birdie.

Back on 10 Si Woo Kim looks to rejoin the leaders on seven under but his birdie putt just misses.

09:46 PM BST

Not ideal

Joint leader Vegas has hit the turn but his first tee shot on the back nine is not his best, leaking to the left.

Meanwhile Rahm is at the 17th tee, halfway through the ‘Green Mile’. His tee shot is not the best but he misses to the right side, rather than missing to the left and finding the water.

09:44 PM BST

Rahm joins co-leaders

After a sublime second on the par-four 16th, the Spaniard has under three feet for birdie and he makes it to join Scheffler and Vegas on seven under.

Back on the ninth Pavon has missed a simple par putt and drops back to five under.

09:36 PM BST

He thought it was in

DeChambeau thought his birdie putt on 13 was going in but it rolls around the hole so he remains at six under. Had that dropped he would have joined Scheffler and Vegas on seven under.

09:35 PM BST

Dropped shot for Si Woo Kim

The South Korean has made a bogey on the ninth and drops back to six under.

Up on 13…

09:27 PM BST

Missed opportunity for Vegas

The overnight leader found the green in one at the eighth but it is a three putt for the Venezuelan and he remains at seven under. He should have been walking off that green with the outright lead.

09:26 PM BST

Rahm closing in on the leaders

A birdie on the par-five 15th has taken the Spaniard to six under, one shot off the lead. He is now four under for the day with three holes to go but he faces the tricky stretch of 16, 17 and 18.

09:22 PM BST

Close but no cigar for Bryson

On the 12th green DeChambeau comes close to sinking a long birdie putt to join the leaders on seven under but it does not drop, so he remains st six under.

Bryson DeChambeau hits his tee shot on the 12th hole
Bryson DeChambeau having a good third round – David J. Phillip/AP

09:13 PM BST

Nearly to -8

Scheffler nearly takes the outright lead but his putt slides by the hole. He had a huge slice of luck off the tee so he will probably walk off satisfied with a par when it could have been so much worse.

Behind that group the overnight leader Vegas has settled won and just found the green with his tee shot, presenting him a shot at an eagle to move to -9.

09:13 PM BST

Dropped shot at 17

The par three midway through the ‘Green Mile’ has proven tricky for McIlroy today. Remember yesterday he missed a simple putt on this hole yesterday to make a bogey and he makes a bogey today. He is now two over before hitting the turn, having started on the tenth.

09:07 PM BST

New co-leader

After a poor start to his third round, overnight leader Vegas has begun the rescue act and a birdie on the seventh takes him to seven under alongside Scheffler and Si Woo Kim.

Up on the 11th, DeChambeau has a nervy putt to save par and he just about sinks it to remain at six under.

Jhonattan Vegas looks at his scorecard
Jhonattan Vegas turning things around – Aaron Doster/Reuters

09:04 PM BST

Huge slice of fortune

Scheffler is so lucky. His tee shot on eight goes miles right and was going to go way into the trees but it hits a tree and rebounds back into the fairway.

Scottie Scheffler smiles on the seventh hole
Lucky Scottie! – Matt York/AP

09:03 PM BST

Rahm so close to an eagle

The sublime tee shot set up a good eagle opportunity but his putt slides just past. He settles for a birdie and improves to five under, two off the lead held by Scheffler and Si Woo Kim.

08:54 PM BST

Scheffler goes into co-lead

Scheffler has a long eagle putt on the par-five seventh but he leaves it a fair way short. It will be a challenging putt for birdie and he will be very annoyed at himself if he walks off the seventh green without making up a shot. He makes no mistake though and lands the birdie putt to join Si Woo Kim, who has to settle for a par, on seven under.

Scottie Scheffler watches his chip
Ominous signs from the world number one – Warren Little/Getty Images

08:48 PM BST

Missed opportunity

DeChambeau has a chance on the tenth to make a birdie to join Si Woo Kim on seven under but his birdie putt slides by the hole so he remains at six under.

Meanwhile back on seven…

08:47 PM BST

Sensational!

My word! Rahm steps up to the driveable par-four 14th and drills his tee shot down the perfect line. It bounces just in front of the green and rolls onto the green, ending up around ten feet from the pin to give an eagle chance to potentially move to six under and a share of second place.

08:38 PM BST

Pavon drops back

The Frenchman had started with five straight pars but a bogey on six drops him back to five under.

08:35 PM BST

Power

DeChambeau hit his drive 323 yards on the long par-five 10th, with 284 yards left. Bryson demolishes his second shot and makes it look a short par five but goes over the back. He absolutely walloped those first two shots. He will have a shot at perhaps joining Si Woo Kim on seven under.

With the temporary stand behind the green, Bryson has to do a little searching to find his ball and he will get free relief as it is a temporary structure.

08:31 PM BST

In trouble at 15

After a birdie on the 14th, McIlroy is in some strife at the par-five 15th. His tee shot goes out of bounds to the right so he hits another from the tee, meaning it is three shots off the tee. He is inches away from saving his par but he will have to settle with a bogey to drop back to one over. Not really Rory’s week but a reminder he is still only eight shots off.

However the Northern Irishman heads to the ‘Green Mile’; 16, 17 and 18. A tough stretch of holes.

08:25 PM BST

Over on the sixth

Yesterday Si Woo Kim secured a hole-in-one on the par-three sixth but he is nearly 43 feet away from repeating that feat and in fact misses the green. His chip on is delicate, setting up a par for the leader.

Scheffler found the bunker but he is not far away from chipping in for birdie. He has been sublime from the bunkers this week and again demonstrates his prowess from them.

Si Woo Kim on the fourth hole
Si Woo Kim leading the way – Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

08:12 PM BST

Birdie for McIlroy

He has not made the early inroads he would have wanted but he makes a birdie on the par-four 14th after a fantastic drive. Rory moves to level par, seven shots off the lead.

Meanwhile on 11, after accidentally hitting the spectator, Rahm drops a shot.

08:06 PM BST

Scheffler and DeChambeau moving

Is this ominous? The world number one sinks his birdie putt on the fifth and he is now up to six under, one shot behind our leader Si Woo Kim, who could not land his birdie putt on the same green.

And joining Scheffler on six under is DeChambeau. The two Americans are moving.

Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt
Scottie Scheffler in a good position – George Walker IV/AP

08:05 PM BST

Bogey for Fitzpatrick

Not what the Yorkshireman would have wanted as he bogeys the fourth to drop to five under.

Over on the 11th Rahm has accidentally struck a fan after missing the green to the left. Thankfully the gentleman is absolutely fine and is smiling. Rahm goes over, gives him a glove and they embrace. We thought initially it could have been bad but luckily all’s well that ends well.

08:02 PM BST

Penge in the red

Great to see Marco Penge, the 27-year-old from Horsham, riding high in the top 20 on three-under, just four off the pace. This is his US major. He hits it a mile and is a fascinating character. Had to serve a two-month ban on daft betting charges over the New Year – but turned this career-threatening experience into a positive. I interviewed him in the build-up to this US PGA.

08:00 PM BST

Taking too much time?

The wind has picked up a little but it is not gale-force winds. If you remember back to The Masters, Scheffler stood on the 11th tee for an absolute age on one of the rounds and he has taken age over his second shot on the fifth. It is a while since Kim took his shot and it feels a tad ridiculous how long he took over his shot, which ends up in the middle of the green, so he would argue that was the right call to wait.

But do these players take too long over shots at time? Have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.

07:55 PM BST

Rahm moving on up

The Spaniard has just gone past the turn and is three under on the day to join the likes of Scheffler and DeChambeau at five under.

07:51 PM BST

Birdie for Bryson

DeChambeau gets a birdie on the par-five seventh and joins the group of players on five under, now two shots off the lead.

Bryson DeChambeau interacts with fans
DeChambeau having a good time in the third round – Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

07:46 PM BST

Into the outright lead

We have a new leader in the form of South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, who birdies the fourth just about to move to seven under. The ball went around the hole a fair bit and drops in. He had a fantastic round of 64 yesterday and has taken some of that momentum into today. Remember that 252-yard hole-in-one from yesterday!

Si Woo Kim plays a shot on the second tee
Si Woo Kim takes the lead – Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

07:41 PM BST

So close to a hole-in-one

Moments after Si Woo Kim played a stunning tee shot on the par-three fourth, Scheffler follows that up with an even better shot that comes close to going in for a hole-in-one. That moves Scheffler to five under and Kim should take the outright lead on seven under.

07:38 PM BST

Another birdie chance slips by for McIlroy

Up on the 12th (his third hole of the day) Rory has an opportunity to make birdie to move to even par but the ball just does not drop. A reminder that McIlroy is only seven shots off the lead currently after Vegas started with back-to-back bogeys. No-one is running away with this currently.

Rory McIlroy looks on after his tee shot on the 12th
What sort of third round can Rory put together? – Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

07:36 PM BST

Busy at the top

Now we have a cavalry charge! Jhonny Vegas bogeys his opening two holes and with his double on the 18th on Friday night that means the Venezuelan has dropped four shots in his last three holes. There are now more than 30 players within four of the lead, including four Englishman (Matt Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rai, Marco Penge and Matt Wallace) and a Scot in Bob MacIntyre. Whoever wants it – it’s there.

07:32 PM BST

Vegas loses outright lead

It is back-to-back bogeys to start for the Venezuelan and we now have a four-way lead at the top of the leaderboard. Vegas, Pavon, Fitzpatrick and Si Woo Kim all on six under.

07:22 PM BST

More trouble for Vegas?

After a challenging start on the first, our leader (maybe for not much longer!) has gone left on the tee at the second and has a very difficult second shot coming up. He simply has to take his medicine and chip out. Could he drop another shot here and lose his outright lead? Vegas’ chip rolls back off the front and his start to this round could not have been much worse.

Playing alongside him is Fitzpatrick, who played the perfect tee shot and his second hits the pin and rolls away to leave him a long birdie putt.

07:18 PM BST

No birdie, no birdie, birdie!

Scheffler sees his birdie effort on the second roll just by the left edge of the hole.

McIlroy has a birdie chance of his own on the 11th but he cannot take advantage.

Hovland rolls in a birdie putt on the eighth to advance to three under and within four of the lead.

Scottie Scheffler walks on the first green
Scottie Scheffler is a few off the lead currently – Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

07:12 PM BST

Vegas drops shot immediately

Not the start our leader would have wanted. His wayward tee shot proves costly as he ends up with a bogey to have his lead cut in half. He drops to seven under and that means in his last two holes across the end of yesterday and today he has dropped three shots.

Up on 11, a great drive down the middle of the fairway and a good approach shot presents McIlroy the chance of a birdie to improve to even par.

Jhonattan Vegas hits a shot out of the pines
Difficult start for the overnight leader – Alex Slitz/Getty Images

07:04 PM BST

Scheffler makes early bogey

Not the start to the day the world number one would have wanted. Scheffler makes a bogey on the first to drop to four under. He had a lengthy putt to save par but that did realistically get anywhere near.

It is a slightly scrappy first hole of the day (the 10th on the course) from McIlroy but he settles for a par to remain at even par.

Meanwhile Rahm has had the perfect response and nails his birdie putt on seven to progress to four under.

Despite a near hole-in-one, Rai did not make a birdie.

07:01 PM BST

Nearly a hole-in-one

On the par-three fourth Englishman Aaron Rai comes very close to a hole-in-one. He currently sits at three under, having begun his day with three straight pars

Up on seven Rahm is looking to bounce back from a bogey with a birdie and a terrific third shot on the par five will give him that chance.

06:56 PM BST

Lead trio

The final group consisting of Matt Fitzpatrick (-6), Matthieu Pavon (-6) and leader Jhonattan Vegas (-8) are getting started. Vegas begins the day with a two-shot lead.

It is a very nervy start for the Venezuelan, whose tee shot misses the fairway to the right and that could be a tricky second shot.

06:49 PM BST

PGA of America release statement

Kerry Haigh, PGA Tour of America Chief Championships Officer, has released the following statement:

“We can confirm that the USGA was invited to do club testing at the PGA Championship, at the PGA of America’s request. That testing program is consistent with the same level of support that the USGA provides to the PGA Tour and other championships, as part of their regular programs for driver testing.

“The standard process is for about a third of the field to be randomly tested under the program. That was the case at Quail Hollow this week. Finding driver heads that have crept over the line of conformance is not an unusual occurrence, especially for clubs that are hit thousands of times over a long period of time.

“The results are kept confidential to protect players, who are unaware the club has fallen out of conformance and not responsible for it falling out of conformance other than hitting the club thousands of times. Players are simply asked to change heads if necessary, and all do without issue.

“To publicly identify players whose club did not conform can lead to that player being questioned unnecessarily. Neither the USGA nor the PGA of America have any concerns about player intent.”

06:46 PM BST

On the first

World number one Scottie Scheffler begins his third round at five under. Scheffler is playing with Max Homa, also on five under, and Si Woo Kim at six under.

Meanwhile up at the third DeChambeau has saved par, which he absolutely would have taken when his tee shot went miles left.

Scottie Scheffler smiles before his third round
The world number one gets going in round three – Alex Slitz/Getty Images

06:40 PM BST

McIlroy gets his third round going

Rory is stood on the tenth tee, ready to begin his third round. He was making his way to the tee hours ago when the hooter went and play was suspended so he has had to wait a long while to finally start round three. McIlroy is full of smiles despite his very shaky end to his second round yesterday.

Rory receives a great ovation as he steps up and, despite being nine off the lead, plenty of fans are following this group. His first drive of the day finds the fairway. His driver has certainly grabbed the media spotlight this week.

McIlroy is playing alongside Chris Kirk and one of the men he played the first two days with, Xander Schauffele

06:37 PM BST

Escape for DeChambeau?

Bryson’s second on the third goes just over the back of the green but he would take where he is after two shots on the tee. His chip onto the green gives him a good chance of saving par.

Up on the sixth though Rahm’s early momentum has been halted by a bogey to drop back to three under.

06:28 PM BST

Where is that going?

DeChambeau has made a good start to his third round and sits at four under, four off the lead, but that is a dreadful tee shot on the third where he has gone miles left, and I mean miles left. This will be fascinating to see where he ends up for his second shot.

06:24 PM BST

Upcoming groups (BST)

First tee:

18:44 Kim Si-woo (Kor), Max Homa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

18:55 Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)

Tenth tee:

18:38: Chris Kirk (US), Rory McIlroy (NI), Xander Schauffele (US)

18:49: Max Greyserman (US), Sam Burns (US)

06:21 PM BST

Solid start for Bryson

After a birdie on the first, DeChambeau launches his drive 348 yards down the middle of the fairway, leaving him 85 yards in. His second is spot on, finding a good spot on the green and upcoming is a decent opportunity to make it back-to-back birdies to begin his third round. His birdie putt slides past the left edge so the birdie chance passes by. He remains at four under.

Norwegian Viktor Hovland made a birdie on the second but has been pegged back by a bogey on the fourth to drop back to two under, where he started the round.

Bryson DeChambeau has his hand on his head after a missed putt
Bryson DeChambeau four off the lead – Jim Dedmon/Reuters

06:07 PM BST

DeChambeau starts strong

Perfect pace, right in the middle of the cup. A birdie for DeChambeau at one from 15 feet.

06:03 PM BST

DeChambeau underway

Bryson DeChambeau has started his round. He starts at three under and will want to make a fast start to make an impression on the leaders.

05:53 PM BST

Rahm climbing

No such ‘mudball’ woe for Rahm as he chips in from off the green for a birdie. A little fist pump from the Spaniard who is making his move.

Jon Rahm acknowledges the crowd on the first hole
Jon Rahm moving up the leaderboard – George Walker IV/AP

05:51 PM BST

‘Mudball’

A few players complaining about mudballs again, the latest being Rahm as his approach into the third. 

A reminder that defending champion Xander Schauffele pleaded with US PGA Championship officials to stop the scourge of “mud balls” after they opted against allowing the pros to “lift, clean and place” balls in the saturated fairways.

05:34 PM BST

McIlroy starts prep

First sighting of McIlroy as he strides over to the practice green. He is due out in around an hour.

05:32 PM BST

Hatton disappointment

Hatton has a chance at a bounce-back birdie but misses to the right from about 8 feet. He needs to make a move soon. 

05:23 PM BST

Rahm on the move

Rahm with a birdie on the first to move to three-under. His Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, starting on the tenth hole, also hits a birdie.

05:14 PM BST

Bogey for Hatton

That won’t please him. A dropped shot on the par-four 2nd puts him back at even. 

05:10 PM BST

Europe’s best get underway

A little too far right from Tommy Fleetwood in the latest group to tee off from one. It’s a European Ryder Cup super three-ball with Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm also.

05:07 PM BST

England’s Marco Penge begins

Ideal start for Horsham’s Penge as he finds the fairway on the first hole in the second group of the day. He is at 2-under.

04:48 PM BST

Here we go

Joaquin Niemann is first up and smokes a drive down the middle. He is followed by Tyrrell Hatton. His opening tee is similarly clean. No angry words were exchanged with his driver after that. 

Wyndham Clark is the final man to tee off and his effort goes right and lands in the rough.

04:40 PM BST

Weather update

Clear skies, sun is shining. The third round is finally about to start at Quail Hollow.

04:36 PM BST

A special moment for Si Woo Kim

04:28 PM BST

ICYMI

Tough times for Phil Mickelson yesterday…

04:10 PM BST

Fitzpatrick’s rousing comeback

Some surprise to see the highest Briton on the leaderboard at the start of day three is Matt Fitzpatrick.

The Englishman had spent 18 months in the doldrums: he has tumbled from world No 9 to 85th and his game and confidence have plummeted.

Yet the 2022 US Open champion appears to be on a rousing comebackover the last month and he kept his cool on Friday to finish the second round in a tie for second after a second successive 68.

Could England be celebrating its first US PGA crown in 106 years? 

“The best thing for me is I am just happy to be in this position, given the year I’ve had,” Fitzpatrick said. “To be honest, it wasn’t one of the goals this week to be where I am on the leader board – but I have 36 holes left and I’m in with a good chance.”

04:01 PM BST

Vegas, baby, Vegas

Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela was the surprise leader after the first round on Thursday and he remains in pole position going into today’s third round. Here are his best bits from yesterday’s second round:

03:54 PM BST

McIlroy’s club issues

The big talking point last night was the news that Rory McIlroy had been forced to ditch his favoured driver before round one on Thursday after testers from the PGA of America – which runs this tournament – had carried out a random inspection on the Northern Irishman’s trusty TaylorMade Qi10 and deemed that it did not pass.

As Telegraph Sport’s golf correspondent James Corrigan wrote: “It is a complex issue, but it certainly does not mean that McIlroy was at fault.”

James said it was highly unlikely that McIlroy even suspected his driver did not meet requirements and that it is something that happens week to week on the PGA Tour.

Suddenly McIlroy’s first-round 74 made much more sense and his second round 69 to squeeze inside the cut seemed almost heroic.

McIlroy has just about kept his chances of a third US PGA title and a second major in as many months alive.

03:34 PM BST

Return of the mud balls?

The first round on Thursday was marked by some of the world’s leading golfers hitting out at the organisers for not allowing players to “lift, clean and place” balls in the saturated fairways, leading to ‘mud balls’.

This term is as simple as it sounds – with players not allowed to clean balls caked with mud and then watching in despair and anger as their second shots from apparently ideal spots on the fairway veered left of the green and into the hazards.

With the bad weather today, the scourge of ‘mud balls’ could be back…

03:23 PM BST

Revised tee times

So, what with the angry weather in North Carolina, to speed things up after the delayed start, organisers have announced that the players will go out in threes, not twos, and there will be split tee times with half of the field getting their rounds under way from the first, with the rest starting form the 10th tee.

Here are some of the key tee times (in BST):

First hole
4.43pm Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Wyndham Clark – these guys will be first out
4.54pm Keegan Bradley, Marco Penge (Eng), Lucas Glover
5.05pm Viktor Hovland (Nor), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Jon Rahm (Spa).
5.49pm Taylor Pendrith (Can), Bryson DeChambeau, Richard Bland (Eng).
6.00pm Garrick Higgo (RSA), JJ Spaun, Aaron Rai (Eng).
6.44pm Si WooKim (Kor), Max Homa, Scottie Scheffler.
6.55pm Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng).

10th hole
4.48pm Rafael Campos (PR), Matt Wallace (Eng), Tom McKibbin (NI).
4.59pm Beau Hossler, Corey Conners (Can), Luke Donald (Eng).
5.10pm Nicolai Hojgaard (Den), Harry Hall (Eng), Austin Eckroat.
6.38pm Chris Kirk, Rory McIlroy (NI), Xander Schauffele.

02:50 PM BST

And then there were three . . .

Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele will be joined by Chris Kirk in their threeball following the revised plans for today’s third round. The trio will tee off from the 10th hole at 6.38pm (BST).

02:24 PM BST

Clocking off on time . . . hopefully

Nick Dougherty on Sky Sports has just informed viewers that play is expected to conclude at the original time of just after midnight (BST). Good news for those who like to go to bed at a sensible time, and for live bloggers who are not especially keen on working through to the early hours.

02:10 PM BST

New tee off times incoming

The PGA Championship has posted an update on social media, announcing that there will be revised tee-off times. In addition, there will be split tee times with half of the field getting their rounds under way from the first, with the rest starting form the 10th tee. The American paring of Max Greyserman Sam Burns should start their rounds at about 4.43pm (BST).

Revised starting times will be published shortly.

01:51 PM BST

Weather update alert

The PGA Tour website that the “dangerous weather”, in fact, involves “an eight-mile lightning radius in the Charlotte area”.

Practice grounds were closed and spectators, as previously reported below, were asked take immediate shelter.

Storms are expected to clear up by late morning at Quail Hollow. By my calculations, that means play may not get under way until around 5pm.

We will keep you updated with the state of play – or lack thereof – as soon as we hear any more from the PGA or our man with his boots on the ground.

01:44 PM BST

And, er, some of the best shots from yesterday . . .

01:43 PM BST

Best ‘shots’ from yesterday . . .

Scottie Scheffler fist-bumps with his caddie Ted Scott
Scottie Scheffler fist-bumps with his caddie Ted Scott – Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox
signs
A player signs off following his round on Friday – Getty Images/Krista Jasso
Kim Si-woo
Kim Si-woo, understandably, appeared delighted with his hole-in-one on the ninth – Getty Images/Andrew Redington

01:29 PM BST

View from the ground

Rory McIlroy was walking to the first tee when the hooter sounded to delay play. As they say over here, there is electricity in the area. The forecast is fine, so it should not be too lengthy a suspension.

01:24 PM BST

‘Dangerous weather’ delays play

A short post on social media from tournament organisers has warned spectators to take shelter after play on day three has been suspended because of dangerous weather. A statement  form PGA Championship said: “Play has been suspended at 8.15am (1.15pm, BST) due to dangerous weather in the area. Please seek shelter immediately. Further updates to follow”.

01:10 PM BST

How the bookies see it

Here is what the betting market looks like going into the third round.

  • Scottie Scheffler: 5/2
  • Bryson DeChambeau: 17/2
  • Jhonattan Vegas: 13/1
  • Matt Fitzpatrick: 13/1
  • Kim Si-woo: 14/1
  • Rory McIlroy: 40/1

01:00 PM BST

And it was grim reading for these boys . . .

. . . who will be resting their trotters today.

12:55 PM BST

Third-round tee times

See the full list here. Some of the two-balls to watch out for.

1.25pm (BST): Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
McIlroy will be hoping for an improved round this afternoon, as will defending champion Schauffele who, like the Masters champion, narrowly made the cut on Friday.

Rory McIlroy - PGA Championship 2025 live: Leaderboard and updates from Quail Hollow
Rory McIlroy made the cut on Friday despite not playing the opening two rounds at Quail Hollow with his favoured driver – Getty Images/Alex Slitz

4.45pm: Jon Rahm, Keegan Bradley
Rahm, the Spanish two-time major winner, goes head-to-head with Bradley, the 38-year-old who will captain the US Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black Golf Course later this year. There could be an intriguing battle of the minds once they get their rounds under way.

4.55pm: Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood
Norway’s Hovland and Englishman Fleetwood may not be threatening to top of the leaderboard – not yet, at least – but Ryder Cup fans may be keen on seeing how the pair fare.

7.25pm: Max Homa, Scottie Scheffler
Max Homa, the American who hit a seven-under-par 64 on Friday to propel him up the standings, partners compatriot and world No 1 Scheffler. The pair start the penultimate round at Quail Hollow at five under, three adrift of surprise clubhouse leader Jhonattan Vegas.

7.35pm: Matt Fitzpatrick, Kim Si-woo
Fitzpatrick, the former US Open winner, continues on his impressive on comeback trail following a barren few years – in the majors, at least. The Englishman plays alongside Kim, the South Korean who hit an impressive hole-in-one on the 252-yard par-three sixth on Friday.

12:45 PM BST

Spared from the cutter

Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the third round of the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

Rory McIlroy, the Masters champion, will, alongside Xander Schauffele, get his third round under way at 1.25pm (BST) after he made the cut on Friday. The Northern Irishman will start the day nine shots behind surprise leader Jhonattan Vegas after his two-under-par 69 to make one over after shooting 74 during a disappointing opening round.

McIlroy played his opening two rounds with a replacement driver after PGA of America officials deemed his favoured club – the TaylorMade Qi10 – potentially illegal. Given the disruption to his opening two rounds, the very fact McIlroy has kept his slim chances of winning a second major in as many months is nothing short of remarkable.

Play gets under way at Quail Hollow at 1.15pm.

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