Scottie Scheffler bursts clear of US PGA third-round field at Quail Hollow
Majors are often won as Saturday shadows lengthen. It feels as if we have again witnessed precisely that.
Quail Hollow's devilish last three holes, the Green Mile, can ruin tournament aspirations. Scottie Scheffler decided to play that stretch in two under par. The world No 1 had already produced an outrageous eagle at the 14th and birdied the next. Five holes, five under. Catch him if you can.
Scheffler's 65 and 11-under-par total means this US PGA Championship is suddenly his to lose. He leads Alex Norán by three in Charlotte. Daylight, such valuable daylight to a player of Scheffler's strength. It is almost as if he has making up to do; a year ago, his US PGA plan was disrupted by an arrest outside the gates of Valhalla. This is far more familiar stuff.
History is on Scheffler's side. On the previous two occasions he has held 54-hole major leads, both at Augusta National, he has won. There feels inevitability about what comes next. Norén has never won a major before. Neither have JT Poston, Kim Si-woo or Jhonattan Vegas. Jon Rahm is six under and not without hope or motivation. Including, that is, in proving his switch to LIV Golf has not undermined his major chances. The odds of toppling Scheffler in this mood, though, are long.
'It is hard to express how hungry I may be for a major,' Rahm said. 'About as hungry as anybody can be in this situation.
'Me going to LIV and playing worse in majors had nothing to do with where I was playing golf. My swing was simply not at the level it had to be for me to compete. It's easier to post a score on non-major championship courses and venues, and I think when you get to the biggest stages like this one and these courses, those flaws are going to get exposed.
'There's been weeks where I was able to play better, like the Open last year. The Masters wasn't a good start but it got better as the week was on and I'm still working and trying to get my swing to a better spot.
'I would say even in 2023, after winning the Masters, I did not play good at all until the Ryder Cup. So I think the problems began earlier than people think. But I'm now getting closer to a position of being comfortable. I think this week so far and this round has been a show of it.'
As Rahm spoke, Scheffler was pressing upon the accelerator. This was his 25th major round in the 60s since 2022. These three in a row – 69, 68, 65 – will scare the field. And yet, Scheffler was merely one under for his day on the 14th tee. There, he cracked a three-wood from 304 yards to within 3ft of the cup. It was the moment of this slow burning major.
'I battled hard out there, it was really tough today,' Scheffler said. 'The winds were really gusting, the greens firmed up but I did a good job of staying patient. I struck the ball a lot better than in the first couple of rounds.
Sign up to The Recap
The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action
after newsletter promotion
'I wanted to finish off the round the right way. I was able to find some momentum there. I need more good golf, I need to stay in the present. I have a lot of very good players chasing me on the leaderboard.'
Rahm's fellow LIV man Bryson DeChambeau is a shot further back, a situation that would be even better but for a horrible finish. DeChambeau three-putted the 16th and found water on 17. When asked about his level of frustration, he replied: 'That's why golf is the worst four-letter word in the world.' DeChambeau at one point held the lead. His 69 represented poor return.
Keegan Bradley, the US Ryder Cup captain, has matched DeChambeau's total. There may yet be a serious conversation to be had over whether Bradley should play or direct operations at Bethpage later this year.
Rory McIlroy's 72 means he is playing for a place at two over. The Northern Irishman can already turn attentions towards next month's US Open, when the noise associated with Masters glory will have quietened down somewhat. Those to make round three headway included Matt Wallace and Adam Scott. Matt Fitzpatrick is in the five-under group after a 72.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
'The greatest shot in the history of golf': World No 284 produces 122-yard putt on the 'world's HARDEST golf course' ahead of 125th US Open
PGA Tour pro Zac Blair has produced what one fan has described as 'the greatest shot in the history of golf' on the famously difficult Oakmont Country Club course in the build-up to the US Open. Golf stars have been taking to the course - known as the toughest to tackle in the sport - as they prepare for the 125th installment of the major, which begins on Thursday morning. The course at Oakmont Country Club, situated in Pennsylvania, is known as the 'Beast' by members who play on it with regularity. Phil Mickelson once described it as the 'hardest' layout he's played. Rory McIlroy, who recently completed the golf Grand Slam by winning the Masters, has even been struggling on the Oakmont grass during practice rounds, claiming the Pittsburgh venue 'felt impossible' after a recent visit. So, when a video started circulating of Blair - who is ranked 284th in the world - executing an extraordinary 122-yard putt onto the green the notoriously tough hole number one. clip posted by Andy Johnson, a golf fan, displays Blair impressively drilling the ball down the fairway, and it sloped perfectly onto the green into a perfect position to putt home. . @z_blair from 122 with the putter on 1 at Oakmont….pretty good. — Andy Johnson (@AndyTFE) June 10, 2025 The majority of the build-up to the third major of the year has been congested with complaints from the world's best golfers, so it's fair to say that fans have been left stunned by the shot from Utah-born Blair. One particularly amazed social media user, wrote: 'No exaggeration, that might have been the greatest shot in the history of golf.' Another's reaction was short but sweet: 'That's a tremendous putt.' Meanwhile, a different fan was left in disbelief: 'Absurdly good [laughing face emojis]. He hit that left hand low?! Insanity.' Not all fans were left impressed, however. Many X accounts couldn't see what was so special about the shot. 'Mostly luck. No pressure. The shots Rory hit in Augusta on Sunday were way more impressive than this,' read one reply to the video. However, I'm not sure the great McIlroy will agree with the comment. The Masters champion was one of many taking part in the US Open to admit to struggling with the Oakmont Country Club course. On Tuesday, the Northern Irishman - who was beaten to the title by Bryson DeChambeau last year - opened up about the difficulties he faced on a scouting mission at the course last week. 'Last Monday felt impossible,' McIlroy said. 'I birdied the last two holes for 81. It felt pretty good, it didn't feel like I played that badly [on Tuesday]. It's much more benign right now than it was that Monday. 'They had the pins in dicey locations and greens were running at 15.5 [on the stimpmeter]. It was nearly impossible. This morning it was a little softer. The pins aren't going to be on 3 or 4% slopes all the time. 'If you put it in the fairway, it's certainly playable. But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can. You get yourself in the way of a few birdies, that's a bonus. 'I'm glad we have spotters out there because last Monday you hit a ball off the fairway and you were looking for a good couple of minutes just to find it. It's very penal if you miss. Sometimes it's penal if you don't miss. The person with the most patience and the best attitude this week is the one that's going to win.'
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Rare footage re-emerges of 19-year-old Tyson Fury brutally knocking out rival and leaving him in crumpled heap
RARE footage of Tyson Fury scoring a brutal knockout in the amateurs has re-emerged. Fury had a 31-4 record in the unpaid ranks but he turned professional in 2008 after being overlooked for the Olympics in favour of David Price. 5 5 But before doing so, the future two-time heavyweight world champion travelled to Philadelphia in 2007 for the Harrowgate Boxing Club. Fury competed for Belfast's Holy Family ABC and boxed in front of just a handful of spectators at the New Alhambra Sports and Entertainment Centre. Those in attendance would not have known they were watching a future star of the sport - but Fury's KO of Maurice Byarm might have been a hint. Fury - only 19 at the time -had the American hurt on the ropes with an uppercut and the follow up right hand ended the bout in the third and final round. Byarm himself turned pro in 2009 - two years after the loss to Fury but he failed to make an impact in the paid ranks. He was beaten by Bryant Jennings in 2012 and stopped by Magomed Abdusalamov the same year before leaving the sport. Byarm did return six years later in 2018 to beat Richard Carmack in his comeback fight but it marked his final fight. Fury meanwhile first became champ in 2015 when he stunned Wladimir Klitschko in Germany to win the WBA, IBF and WBO belts. But by 2017, he vacated the straps amid a battle with depression and substance abuse. But it paved the way for one of boxing's most remarkable comebacks as Fury returned in 2018 to challenge for the WBC title - controversially drawing to Deontay Wilder. Fury later beat Wilder twice to claim the belt but he eventually lost the gold and his unbeaten record in May to Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk, 38, also won the rematch in December and a month later Fury, 36, announced his retirement from boxing and has so far kept his word. 5 5 5
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Farewell tour or Super Bowl run? What Rodgers deal means for Steelers
When Aaron Rodgers arrived at the New York Jets in 2023, he joked about their sole Super Bowl trophy "looking lonely".The Jets went all in on the NFL's four-time Most Valuable Player, who was expected to transform them into championship vibe was very different on the veteran quarterback's first day with the Pittsburgh Steelers on played down talk of a Super Bowl run while head coach Mike Tomlin said "we'll make no bold predictions".And that seems to suit Rodgers just fine as the 41-year-old prepares for his 21st and possibly last season in the NFL. Why has Rodgers chosen to keep playing? After being released following a disappointing second season with the Jets, Rodgers spent months considering his future and said in April that "retirement could still be a possibility".He has chosen to play on but not for his football legacy. In 18 years with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers ensured he will head into the Hall of Fame as one of the NFL's greatest winning the 2011 championship, a second Super Bowl ring has eluded him, but Rodgers said on Tuesday that challenging for another is not his main is not money either. His one-year deal with Pittsburgh is worth $13.65m (£10m) - one of the NFL's lowest annual salaries among guaranteed starting still feels fit enough too. Rodgers' first season with the Jets was written off by a torn Achilles but he started every game in his second and currently "feels good" kept the Steelers waiting because he needed time to deal with his personal life, which he revealed on Tuesday included getting married. Now he is ready to focus on football again."For my ego, I don't need to keep playing," he said. "A lot of decisions I've made over my career and life from strictly the ego - even if they turn out well - are always unfulfilling."But the decisions made from the soul are usually pretty fulfilling, so this was a decision that was best for my soul. This is about the love for the game." Why did the Steelers want Rodgers? Pittsburgh have struggled at quarterback since two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 Fields and Russell Wilson shared the role last season, and despite a positive start, the Steelers lost their last five games and bowed out in the first round of the then left - Fields replaced Rodgers at the Jets - while the Steelers brought in back-ups Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, and sixth-round draft pick Will still needed an obvious, experienced starter, and they left the door open for Rodgers, who remained in regular contact with coach felt Rodgers had too much of a say in who the Jets recruited and how they played, but he showed some humility on his first day with the Steelers, saying he believes in Tomlin."I just want to be a servant leader here, pass on the knowledge I have, and try to fit in with the guys," he is the NFL's oldest active player and will replace Roethlisberger as the Steelers' oldest-ever trying several quarterback options in recent years, Tomlin is ready to put his trust in Rodgers' experience and leadership. "Read his resume," he said. Are the Steelers now Super Bowl contenders? Strong defences have played a major part in Pittsburgh's six Super Bowl wins and that remains a hallmark of the current Steelers made a big move on offence in March by trading for Seattle receiver DK Metcalf, who trained with Rodgers in the off-season, but they then allowed both their leading receiver and running back from last season to leave - George Pickens and Najee winning back-to-back MVPs in 2020 and 2021, Rodgers' stats have been in decline but ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith said: "He's still got a little something left and it's going to be better than anything we've seen in recent memory. Give them a chance".Ryan Clark, who played in Pittsburgh's last Super Bowl success in 2009, said that Rodgers is "an upgrade but no longer elite" and that his arrival is "the worst-case scenario".He and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believe the Steelers will not make an impact in the play-offs but will "not be bad enough" to secure an early pick in next year's draft, meaning they will miss out on a potential franchise is the NFL's longest-serving current head coach and the team has not had a losing record in his 18 seasons in charge, however, Pittsburgh have not won a play-off game since three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes was drafted by AFC rivals Kansas City in Pittsburgh can emerge from arguably the NFL's toughest division and gain a long-awaited play-off win, surely the Tomlin-Rodgers pairing would be deemed a success. Potential farewell tour features Dublin date Rodgers said in his documentary on Netflix last year that "I don't feel like I need to prove anything to anybody but myself".But if this is to be his final year in the NFL, the schedule has provided plenty of opportunities to get the last laugh against his friends and Steelers visit the Jets in week one and host Ireland's first NFL game on 28 September against the Minnesota Vikings, rivals of Green Bay and one of three teams that spoke with Rodgers in the welcome the Packers in week eight and the Steelers will visit both of Green Bay's other divisional rivals, Chicago and of the NFL's best quarterbacks are in Pittsburgh's division, the AFC North, so Rodgers could play two games against both Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati), and he is set to face last season's MVP, Josh Allen (Buffalo)."I just want to have fun," Rodgers added. "I want to go out still knowing I can do it, playing good football, and if that comes with a championship win, fantastic."
