PGA Championship: Koepka leads, Block steals the show and more

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The final time Brooks Koepka had a lead coming into the ultimate spherical of a serious championship, he shot a 3-over 75 on Sunday on the 2023 Masters and tied for second behind winner Jon Rahm.

After posting a second straight 4-under 66 within the third spherical of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Nation Membership on Saturday, Koepka has the outright lead at 6 underneath, 1 stroke higher than Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Canada’s Corey Conners.

So what is going to Koepka do in a different way to try to seize his fifth main championship and develop into the primary participant from the LIV Golf League to win one?

“I promise I will not present up like [the Masters] tomorrow,” Koepka informed CBS after Saturday’s spherical. “I will not have that thought course of. It will be utterly completely different and we’ll see the place it places me.”

Koepka, a two-time winner of each the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, truly had a 4-shot lead when play resumed within the third spherical of the weather-delayed Masters in April. He had a 2-stroke lead coming into the ultimate spherical however was by no means in a position to get something going. Earlier this week, he referred to as it “choking.”

“Studying what I realized at Augusta sort of helped [Saturday],” Koepka mentioned. “Like I mentioned, I will not do it once more the remainder of my profession. However that does not imply which you can’t go play unhealthy. You may play good, you will play unhealthy, however I am going to by no means have that mindset or that will not ever be the explanation (he would not win).”

The unhealthy information for Hovland, Conners and the remainder of the sphere? Within the 4 earlier cases during which Koepka was the 54-hole chief or co-leader at a serious, he gained 3 times, on the U.S. Open and PGA Championship in 2018 and 2019 PGA.

In fact, that was earlier than Koepka suffered a debilitating knee damage that required surgical procedure in 2021. He acknowledged that the damage was one of many causes he left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in June. He reportedly acquired about $100 million in assured earnings from the Saudi Arabian-financed circuit.

Koepka insists he is a unique participant now.

“I feel everybody misconstrues the arrogance for simply the damage,” Koepka mentioned. “You ask any athlete if they’re harm, they usually cannot do one thing. I imply, think about if you cannot get away from bed or cannot stroll. You’ve got bought a pebble in your shoe, you sort of begin to alter, and that is the factor. I simply bought into unhealthy habits. It is powerful. You may’t play. I got here again too quickly and performed for too lengthy. However look, I moved on from that now, so I am fairly happy.”

Koepka’s well-known confidence has additionally returned. When a reporter requested how Saturday’s pairing with LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau went, Koepka responded: “I imply, I shot 4 underneath, so that you inform me.” DeChambeau, certainly one of Koepka’s rivals on the PGA Tour, posted a even-par 70.

There isn’t any query about it: Large-game Brooks is again.

Having a serious second

Michael Block, the membership professional from Mission Viejo, California, will not go away. He is tied for eighth place after posting a 3rd straight even-par 70. The final membership professional to be within the high 10 after 54 holes at a PGA Championship was Bob Boyd at Shoal Creek in Alabama in 1990.

The most effective end by a PGA membership professional who superior by the PGA Skilled Championship was a tie for eleventh by Lonnie Nielsen in 1986 and Tommy Aycock in 1974.

Block is barely 3 strokes out of fourth place, which might safe him an invite to the 2024 Masters. A top-10 end would get him a spot in subsequent month’s RBC Canadian Open; a top-15 would get him again to the subsequent yr’s PGA Championship; and a two-way tie for third would earn him particular short-term membership on the PGA Tour.

Block additionally is aware of who’s forward of him coming into the ultimate spherical. He’ll be enjoying the ultimate spherical with Rory McIlroy.

He opened the third spherical with a bogey on No. 1, however then he bought a fast bounce-back birdie with a 17-foot putt on No. 2. After a double bogey on the sixth gap, he made the flip at 2-over 37. Block made a 12½-foot birdie putt on No. 11, adopted by a pair of 8-footers for birdies on Nos. 14 and 15.

Block, the top professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Membership, is second within the discipline in strokes gained: placing (6.236) by three rounds and is second in driving accuracy (27 of 42 fairways).

“He is clearly an ideal participant and has performed in quite a few these, so I am certain he is getting snug and he is enjoying rather well,” mentioned Patrick Cantlay, who performs with Block a number of occasions a yr. “It is nice to see. He is strong, hits it very straight, and on a golf course like this the place it’s a must to play from the green, that is a giant benefit.”

Block mentioned he did not even have a look at his third spherical enjoying associate, Justin Rose, for 3 holes as a result of he is been a fan of his for a very long time.

“I did not have a look at Rosey’s face for the primary three holes,” Block mentioned. “I am a giant fan of Rosey and I’ve watched him my entire life, and I knew it might get somewhat too intimidating, the truth that, holy crap, I am sitting right here enjoying with Justin Rose, and which may get too large for me. I actually simply sort of appeared down, checked out his sneakers the primary couple holes, and bought off to a good begin and went on from there.”

Block additionally is aware of who’s forward of him coming into the ultimate spherical.

“I really like Rosey, however I can compete towards these guys, to be trustworthy,” Block mentioned. “I can compete towards them. I can cling. I can submit a 3 [under] or 4 underneath tomorrow, particularly if I get the fairways rolling once more.”

Block even has different PGA Tour gamers’ wives pulling for him this week. There’s this tweet from Adam Hadwin’s spouse:

Watching Michael Block play is making me so joyful 🥹. No offense @ahadwingolf

— Jessica Hadwin (@jessicahadwin) May 20, 2023

And this one from Adam Schenk’s:

I am obsessive about him!!

— Kourtney Schenk (@Kourtney_Schenk) May 20, 2023

McIlroy’s within the hunt

After posting a 1-over 71 within the first spherical, McIlroy wasn’t joyful together with his kind and did not really feel notably nicely. He carded a 1-under 69 on each Friday and Saturday, nevertheless, and is again within the hunt at 1 underneath after 54 holes, 5 pictures behind the chief.

After hitting a mixed seven of 28 fairways within the first two rounds, McIlroy hit six of 14 within the third. He additionally wanted solely 25 putts on Saturday, 5 fewer than the opening spherical.

“I feel simply my angle has been nicely,” McIlroy mentioned. “My capability to simply stick in there and present somewhat little bit of grit and willpower and never let rounds get away from me an excessive amount of. I might clearly prefer to be a few pictures nearer to the lead, however with how I’ve felt this week, in case you had have informed me on Thursday night time that I might be going into Sunday within the high 5 and with a sensible likelihood to win this golf match, I’d have taken it.”

What’s going to it take from McIlroy on Sunday to win? Maybe a 5-under 65.

“I hope so,” McIlroy mentioned. “If I have a look at [Saturday], I made sufficient birdies to shoot a rating like that. I simply wanted to maintain these errors off the cardboard. I must maintain hope. I’ve to consider that there’s a rating like that on the market, as a result of wanting on the board, it is most likely a rating I’ll must shoot one thing like that to have an opportunity to win.”

The sick sixth

The par-4, 503-yard sixth gap has been essentially the most troublesome one this week by far. Via the third spherical, the typical rating on the dogleg-right gap is 4.564. There have been solely 21 birdies with 178 pars, 143 bogeys, 41 double bogeys and 5 others.

Scottie Scheffler referred to as it the “hardest gap I’ve ever performed.”

play

Scheffler catches a break together with his ball skipping over the water

Scottie Scheffler’s ball stays in play after skipping over the water hazard on the seventh gap.

On Friday, the sixth gap performed to a scoring common of 4.75. In response to Elias Sports activities Bureau, there have been 90 par-five holes on the PGA Tour this season that performed to a scoring common decrease than 4.75. On Friday, it was essentially the most troublesome gap for a single spherical up to now 30 years at a PGA Championship.

The sixth gap requires a tee shot by a slim chute between bushes, with a creek and hazard on the best (the place Tom Kim went for a mud tub) and two fairway bunkers on the left. It requires an strategy shot over a creek and onto a inexperienced that’s protected by bunkers on the best and a creek on the again left. Gamers have reached the inexperienced in regulation solely 34.8% of the time this week.

“It is loopy troublesome,” Chile’s Mito Pereira mentioned. “It is 500 yards into the wind, water proper. For those who hit it within the tough, you’re chipping out. Water across the inexperienced. I imply, it is actually, actually powerful.”

New York jeers

DeChambeau and Koepka had been booed by New York followers on the primary tee Saturday. They appeared to heat as much as Koepka by the top of the spherical.

“Look, it is New York, and I anticipate it right here, I admire the followers, them doing that to me,” DeChambeau mentioned. “It is like, ‘OK, cool, no drawback.’ I’ve bought no drawback, both manner. If we bought applause, that is incredible, and if not, you realize what, no matter, it’s what it’s. It nonetheless was enjoyable as we speak.”

A double bogey on the sixth gap prompted DeChambeau to lose some floor early. After posting a bogey on the par-5 thirteenth, he had back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to get again to even par within the spherical. He’s 3 underneath after 54 holes, 3 strokes behind Koepka.

The sixth gap has been particularly troublesome for DeChambeau, who’s 3 over on the outlet and 6 underneath on the opposite 17 this week. He carded a birdie on the sixth within the first spherical however double bogeys within the second and third.

“I felt like I shot a number of underneath par on the market regardless of 6 getting me once more,” DeChambeau mentioned. “I actually did not play the outlet unhealthy. I flared it somewhat bit and the wind picked it up and simply barely went within the water as we speak. Drove it superbly on that gap and proceed to drive it nicely tomorrow on the entire golf course, and simply hit my irons somewhat bit higher.”

Mickelson’s milestone

Phil Mickelson grew to become the oldest man to ever win a serious championship when he claimed his sixth on the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, at age 50.

This week, Mickelson additionally grew to become solely the fourth participant in historical past to make 100 cuts in a serious championship, becoming a member of Jack Nicklaus (131), Gary Player (102) and Tom Watson (100). Tiger Woods, in case you’re questioning, has made 77 of 91 cuts in majors.

Mickelson, 52, informed Sky Sports activities on Saturday that he wasn’t conscious of the milestone. He joked that it “reveals my age.”

“This primary 100 cuts has been fascinating,” Mickelson mentioned. “I feel the second 100 goes to be essentially the most fascinating half.”

🗣️ “This primary 100 cuts has been fascinating. The second 100 goes to be essentially the most fascinating half.”

Phil Mickelson reacts to reaching 100 made cuts in Main Championships. pic.twitter.com/whNAHmgHC2

— Sky Sports activities Golf (@SkySportsGolf) May 20, 2023