Cameron Smith’s Remarkable Surge at the PGA Championship
Cameron Smith has made a stunning comeback in the PGA Championship, climbing into contention after a remarkable third round. The Australian LIV Golf star managed to sink three consecutive birdies on holes 9, 10, and 11 at Aronimink, putting him at 2-under par and setting up an exciting final round.
Smith is currently three shots behind American leader Alex Smalley, who was at 5-under with three holes remaining in his third round. However, it was Rory McIlroy who captured the headlines with a scintillating third round of 66, moving him to 3-under par and just two shots behind Smalley.
McIlroy had an impressive performance on the 397-yard sixth hole, where he landed a perfect drive on the green, drawing cheers from the crowd at Aronimink. He followed this with a birdie, keeping his chances of securing a second major victory alive. The favorable conditions allowed several players to make significant moves up the leaderboard.
McIlroy started the tournament poorly, finishing 105th after the first round. However, his third round was a complete turnaround, featuring six birdies, 10 pars, and two bogeys, resulting in a 66. Despite his struggles earlier in the week, McIlroy remains optimistic about his chances going into the final day.
“I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into tomorrow,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy is aiming to join an elite group of golfers who have won the first two majors of the year in the modern era. This includes Ben Hogan (1953), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tiger Woods (2002), and Jordan Spieth (2015). The No.2 player in the world, McIlroy, is determined to make history.
The tournament saw a massive logjam in the leaderboard, with 15 players separated by just two shots. This is the largest such grouping since 2002. At one point during the third round, there were 28 players within two shots of each other.
McIlroy had previously criticized the course setup at Aronimink but softened his comments after his strong third round performance.
Interestingly, McIlroy might be preparing for his next role as much as he is trying to win a major. Last year, he mentioned that he would unwind from a round by watching “The Devil Wears Prada.” This caught the attention of the filmmakers, leading to an invitation to cameo in the sequel. For the evening, McIlroy plans to watch “The Dark Knight.”
Favourable Conditions Boost Performance
Golfers took full advantage of the improved weather conditions, which helped produce numerous birdies. Chris Kirk recorded eight birdies, including five in six holes on the front nine, finishing with a 65. Michael Kim also had a strong performance, birdying six of his first seven holes.
Justin Rose, who won at Aronimink in the 2010 AT&T National, shot a 5-under 65, moving him into contention. Rose noted subtle differences in the course compared to the previous day, where he had struggled with the pin placements.
“I’ve heard Scottie say it’s probably the hardest set of pins he’d seen,” Rose said. “That didn’t strike me as that being the case, but yeah, when you think about it, they were incredibly challenging.”
High Stakes and Prestige
The PGA Championship offered a substantial prize fund, with a total of $28.7 million AUD, marking a $2 million increase from last year. However, it remains the third-largest prize among the three American majors. The winner will take home $5.2 million, adding to the prestige of the event.
