CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The closest competitor to PGA Championship chief Scottie Scheffler is a 42-year-old from Sweden who’s performed solely 4 PGA Tour rounds all 12 months due to a hamstring tendon harm.
That may be Alex Noren, who’s 8-under par and three pictures behind Scheffler after taking pictures a 5-under-par 66 on Saturday.
Noren, ranked No. 72 on the planet, has performed in 184 PGA Tour occasions with no victory, having completed runner-up 3 times.
He has, nevertheless, gained 10 occasions on the DP World Tour.
“It feels good,’’ Noren mentioned of being in competition. “I obtained it collectively.’’
Whereas shelved with the harm, he’s been spending time together with his household and training his daughter’s softball video games.
“It was loads simpler to have this break once I’m 42 than once I was youthful,’’ he mentioned. “As quickly as I sort of might play, I believed I used to be in form of the identical type I used to be in earlier than I obtained injured. I’m lucky to be on this place this early.’’
He known as the harm a “dangerous harm’’ so far as golf, however it allowed him to reside a traditional life at dwelling.
“However I couldn’t swing a membership, I couldn’t bounce or run,’’ he mentioned. “I might stroll sort of slowly and reside a traditional life. I might coach my children. Spent loads of time with the household. It’s been fairly good.’’
Now he has an opportunity to seize the most important victory of his life on Sunday if he can chase down Scheffler.
Of the previous 40 PGA Championships, 37 of the winners have been inside 4 pictures of the lead getting into the ultimate spherical. If that holds to type on Sunday, that might imply solely Noren, Davis Riley and J.T. Poston have an opportunity to catch Scheffler.
The one time that Noren has entered the ultimate spherical of a serious championship among the many high 5 on the leaderboard was on the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale (T-5 after 54, completed T-19).
Keegan Bradley closed his third spherical going par on 16, par on 17 and birdie on 18 — 1-under-par by the treacherous “Inexperienced Mile’’ ending stretch.
That obtained him to 5-under par, six pictures off the lead getting into Sunday’s ultimate spherical.
“Happy with the way in which I completed up these final three holes,’’ Bradley mentioned. “I believe are the hardest three ending holes on the planet. What a solution to end.’’
The mud ball problem has not gone away for the week.
“You have to really hang tough, because there’s still wicked mud balls out there,’’ Bradley said.” I had a pair that have been violent. You’ve simply obtained to hold powerful.’’
Saturday was the primary time in Scheffler’s main championship profession that he shot the outright greatest spherical of the day (65).
Scheffler, who has shot 69-68-65 this week, is the ninth participant general, and first since Dustin Johnson in 2020, to shoot within the 60s within the first spherical of a PGA Championship after which enhance his rating in each the second and third rounds.
Scheffler has been the 54-hole chief in a serious two earlier occasions (2022 and 2024 Masters, successful each).
He has been within the ultimate group of a serious championship three earlier occasions (2022 and 2024 Masters and 2020 PGA Championship).
The one main championship during which Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm all have been among the many high 10 on the leaderboard getting into the ultimate spherical of a serious championship was on the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
