Rory McIlroy Stays in Contention as US PGA Championship Enters Final Day
Rory McIlroy is currently three shots behind the leader at the US PGA Championship, with American Alex Smalley taking a late lead. Smalley managed to birdie four of the last six holes, moving two shots ahead of a tightly packed leaderboard that sits at six under par. The final day promises to be a thrilling battle as the competition remains wide open.
A group of five players, including Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg, and England’s Aaron Rai, are just two shots behind Smalley. In fact, there are 21 players within four shots of the leader, highlighting the intensity of the tournament so far.
McIlroy delivered a strong performance on Saturday, shooting a four-under 66 to climb back into contention. This came after a disappointing opening round of 74, but his resilience has kept him in the mix for the title.
As McIlroy left the course, the leading groups were just starting their final round, and he was hoping they wouldn’t extend their lead too much. Despite the challenges, McIlroy remains a serious contender for the championship.
Rahm, who finished his media duties, looked at the leaderboard and expressed surprise at how close the field was. Much of the discussion over the first two days revolved around the difficulty of the Aronimink Golf Club course, but this challenge has created an exciting final day scenario.
“It’s frustrating for us, but it also makes for an entertaining championship,” McIlroy said. “If I wasn’t playing this tournament, I’d love what’s happening this week.”
Rahm added: “It’s tough to play, but if you do well, it can be fun. That’s probably why the leaderboard is so tight and why Sunday will be such a good day. In that sense, they’ve done a great job.”
McIlroy was one of several morning starters who posted low scores on Saturday. Players like Justin Rose, Chris Kirk, and Kristoffer Reitan all shot 65, closing the gap to within two shots of the overnight leaders.
Later starters like Rai and Rahm briefly moved up the leaderboard to five under par, but both bogeyed the 18th hole, finishing with excellent 67s.
Smalley, who is competing in just his fifth major championship, had a rocky start, with three bogeys in his first four holes. However, he bounced back strongly and maintained his position at the top of the leaderboard.
The American bogeyed the 17th hole, dropping back to five under par, but he remained composed and birdied the final hole to take sole possession of the lead.
World number one Scottie Scheffler struggled during the day, carding a one-over 71, which leaves him five shots behind the leader.
“Going into tomorrow, it’s literally anyone’s tournament,” Scheffler said. “There are a lot of guys with a chance. Someone is going to have a great round, and I’ll make sure to give myself the best shot at being that person.”
German Matti Schmid and Canadian Nick Taylor matched the lowest round of the week with a 65, sitting two shots behind the leader at four under par.
Should any players be tied at the end of the final round, the winner will be decided by a three-hole aggregate score play-off.
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