PGA Championship : Aronimink GC Tee Times Leaderboard
Alex Smalley produced a brilliant, gutsy performance to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the US PGA Championship.
The American entered the third round in a share of the lead but on a day when 14 players would sit atop the leaderboard at some point, he bogeyed three of his first four holes to fall back.
As a player without a professional win, the World #78 could have possibly been forgiven for staying in the pack but to his immense credit he fought back at Aronimink Golf Club.
After turning in 37, he came home in 31 and a 14-footer on the last handed him a 68 and a -6 total.
There was then a five-strong group at -4 made up of two-time Major champion Jon Rahm, Ryder Cup star Ludvig Åberg, two-time Rolex Series winner Aaron Rai, German Matti Schmid and Canadian Nick Taylor.
Two-time reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy, Race to Dubai Rankings leader Patrick Reed, 2024 US PGA champion Xander Schauffele and another American in Maverick McNealy were at -3 with 30 players within 5 shots of the lead including current owgr #1 Scott Scheffler who has struggled like all the rest but although T23 67 71 71 -1 still has an outside chance.
"It's a difficult golf course," Smiley said. "Conditions are tough. It's been windy the last few days. Greens were a little firmer today. I anticipate it's going to be that way tomorrow, too, just because of the forecast. It's going to be hot. It's going to be sunny. There's not going to be a whole lot of moisture on the golf course, I would imagine.
"Any time you can shoot under par on a golf course of this calibre, under these conditions, I think anybody would take that. So I'm hoping to put up another under-par score tomorrow. I recognise that it will be difficult because the golf course is playing difficult. The hole locations are probably going to be difficult as well.
"We'll just add them up at the end of the day and see where that takes me."
For Schmid and Nick Taylor, who both carded rounds of 65, a win would also represent a new chapter, although the Canadian already has five PGA TOUR titles, but this would be his first major, and Canadian men's first since Mike Weir won the Masters in 2003.
Rahm is looking to become the first Spanish winner of this event and he carded five birdies and two bogeys on Saturday, while Åberg made four birdies and two bogeys in a 68.
Rai was among the leaders after six birdies and two bogeys but he dropped a shot on the last before Smalley's big finish.
EDIT >>> the world's bookies aren't giving much more than even money on a Sunday playoff
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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