Breaking down everyone with a shot to win the PGA Championship

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — For just a few hours Saturday afternoon, it appeared this PGA Championship is perhaps an unlikely coronation. Phil Mickelson was on cruise management, hitting fairways, rolling in birdie putts, thumbs-upping everybody in sight. He walked to the eleventh tee with a five-shot lead. Might this actually be taking place? Might Phil Mickelson run away from the sphere and turn into the oldest main champion of all time?

No, it wasn’t going to be that simple. The 50-year-old Mickelson, who hadn’t gained a daily Tour occasion in two years or a serious championship in eight, began to wobble. The putts stopped moving into. One tee shot went within the water, one other beneath the tire of a golf cart. The lead shrunk, then disappeared altogether.

The PGA Championship at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course enters the ultimate day huge open. A take a look at those that can carry away the Wanamaker Trophy come early Sunday night:

Phil Mickelson
7 below
Chief by 1

There are two methods to have a look at this: He ought to have a much bigger lead or, at age 50, he’s remarkably forward by 1 shot with 18 holes to play. In case you had been seeking to describe Mickelson to somebody much less conversant in golf, Saturday was an ideal instance: It was a roller-coaster experience from starting to finish. He doesn’t do boring golf. Don’t anticipate that to alter on Sunday.

What he thinks: “I believe that as a result of I really feel or consider that I’m taking part in very well and I’ve a possibility to contend for a serious championship on Sunday and I’m having a lot enjoyable that it’s simpler to remain within the current and never get forward of myself.”

Brooks Koepka
6 below
1 shot behind

He lives for this. He has at all times admitted he pays way more consideration throughout main weeks. Koepka gained consecutive PGA Championships, in 2018 and 2019, and he has 4 main titles to his identify. He gained’t shrink back from being paired on Sunday with Mickelson. Keep in mind, when Koepka gained the PGA in 2019, he held off Tiger Woods, ruining the feel-good story that your complete gallery needed to see. Koepka could be glad to do it once more, at a special venue, towards one other legend and fan favourite. Mickelson and Koepka have been paired collectively simply as soon as beforehand in a serious championship, for the third spherical of the 2023 Masters; Koepka shot 69 and completed in a tie for seventh, whereas Mickelson posted 79 and tied for fifty fifth.

What he thinks: “Yeah, it’ll be good [to be in the last group]. At the least I can see what Phil is doing after which I don’t have to show again and look and see what he’s as much as. Trying ahead to it. Received an opportunity, and everyone might be in entrance of me, so I do know what I’ve obtained to do. … If I strike it something like I did the final three days, I’ll have an opportunity.”

Louis Oosthuizen
5 below
2 photographs behind

Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion who remains to be trying to find his first win in the US, fought a shaky swing and a pro-Mickelson crowd to stay in rivalry. Oosthuizen is third within the discipline in strokes gained tee-to-green. The important thing would be the driver, which induced him issues on Saturday, most notably on the thirteenth, the place he hit one within the water. He’s tied for 56th within the discipline in driving accuracy.

What he thinks: “That was in all probability the worst I’ve performed shortly. With Phil hitting it fantastically [the first 10 holes] and taking part in nice, I used to be all over. I might sense early on that I wasn’t on. I felt a transfer in my driver that I didn’t like, and from there, it wasn’t good. So, I used to be simply form of preventing to remain in it. All in all, two behind going into Sunday, I’ve obtained to take loads of positives out of that with the best way I used to be taking part in [on Saturday].”

Kevin Streelman
4 below
3 photographs behind

When he walked into the media middle after his third-round 70, Streelman was requested if the latest success by Tour veterans Stewart Cink and Brian Homosexual gave him confidence.

“I’m not that previous,” he mentioned.

The 42-year-old has two profession PGA Tour victories, on the 2013 Tampa Bay Championship and the 2014 Vacationers. Streelman has by no means completed within the prime 10 in a serious. So, how is he right here and why does he have an opportunity? He has hit 31 of 42 fairways, which ties him for seventh in driving accuracy. He’s ninth in strokes gained tee-to-green, fifteenth in strokes gained off the tee and tied for thirteenth in putts.

What he thinks: “You possibly can’t make it greater than it’s. You’re simply not going to carry out at that degree. I don’t know the way it’s going to go. If it’s 65 or 85, my youngsters are nonetheless going to provide me a hug after I’m achieved. What at all times offers me peace is I do know I attempted my greatest 72 holes every week and I’m OK with the consequence, and that’s form of at all times given me peace in my profession.”

Christiaan Bezuidenhout
3 below
4 photographs behind

How he obtained right here is an unbelievable story. He unintentionally drank rat poison when he was 2 years previous and almost died. Bezuidenhout’s latest success mustn’t make it a shock he has a shot at profitable his first main title. He gained twice final yr on the European Tour. He completed seventh earlier this yr on the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He stands forty first within the Official World Golf Rating, forward of Justin Rose, Kevin Kisner, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and others. If his putter stays sizzling — Bezuidenhout is first within the discipline in strokes gained placing — he might stroll away with the Wanamaker Trophy.

What he thinks: Bezuidenhout didn’t remark after his spherical.

Branden Grace
3 below
4 photographs behind

His third spherical was not boring; there have been loads of circles and squares on his scorecard. He had 5 birdies, 5 bogeys and eight pars for an adventurous spherical of even-par 72. Placing up a bunch of birdies isn’t actually a shock. Grace is the one participant in historical past to shoot 62 in a serious, which he did on the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale. He has completed third on the PGA Championship (2015), T-4 on the U.S. Open (2015) and T-6 at The Open (2017).

What he thinks: Grace didn’t remark after his spherical.

Bryson DeChambeau
2 below
5 photographs behind

He needs to be kicking himself for his tee shot on the seventeenth. On the par 3, DeChambeau both took an aggressive line or pushed it, however the ball went proper and ended up within the water. Erase that double bogey from his card and he’s a severe contender. Nonetheless, regardless of being 5 photographs again, he’s in it. The defending U.S. Open champion, after all, leads the sphere in driving distance. He’s second in strokes gained off the tee and seventh in proximity from the outlet together with his strategy photographs. The putter is his subject. He ranks 57th in strokes gained placing.

What he thinks: DeChambeau didn’t remark after his spherical.

Gary Woodland
2 below
5 photographs behind

One way or the other, he’s nonetheless on this. Why is that so stunning? Effectively, on Saturday, he posted three double bogeys. Not too many individuals have three doubles within the third spherical of a serious and nonetheless have a shot. However Woodland isn’t out of it after one way or the other offsetting these doubles to put up even-par 72 on Saturday.

What he thinks: “Being in rivalry felt nice. I do know my recreation is sweet sufficient, and I believe that’s a giant deal. I can depend on what I did virtually two years in the past now at Pebble [when he won the 2019 U.S. Open], however I believe the large deal now’s the boldness. Come out, play aggressive, play like I’ve been taking part in.”

Joaquin Niemann
2 below
5 photographs behind

He made a late cost to get himself within the combine, taking part in the Ocean Course’s ultimate eight holes in 3 below on Saturday. He’s fifteenth within the FedEx Cup rankings and twenty ninth on the planet. Simply 22 years previous, Niemann gained the Army Tribute on the Greenbrier final yr for his lone PGA Tour victory. He stands 6 toes tall and weighs simply 154 kilos, however he can launch it. He’s second within the discipline behind DeChambeau in driving distance at 310.6 yards. For reference, DeChambeau is listed lately at 6-foot-1 and 245 kilos.

What he thinks: “After all [I think I have a chance], I’m going to maintain doing the identical. It’s going to be a special wind [on Sunday], and it’s going to be totally different for everyone. It’s going to be a difficult day, and we’re going to attempt to profit from how I’m taking part in and hopefully have an excellent one.”

Paul Casey, Sungjae Im, Corey Conners
1 below
6 photographs behind

None did himself any favors on Saturday, with all posting 1-over 73.

What Conners thinks: “Form of stumbled a little bit bit on the market, however nonetheless shut sufficient the place I believe I’ve a shot.”

Jordan Spieth and the even-par crowd
7 photographs behind

Paul Lawrie as soon as got here again from 10 photographs behind on the ultimate day to win The Open, in 1999; after all, he famously obtained loads of assist from Jean van de Velde’s epic collapse. John Mahaffey gained the 1978 PGA Championship after trailing by 7 photographs via 54 holes.

So, sure, there’s a probability. And there are some massive names sitting at even, beginning with Spieth. Others embody Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau and Patrick Cantlay.

Have they got a shot? Certain. Is it cheap? No.

What Spieth thinks: “If I had been at 4-under and the lead was solely 7, then issues could possibly be totally different,” Spieth mentioned. “However I’m not. [Looking] to the U.S. Open. I’m taking part in a spot I really like subsequent week [at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas]. Planning on taking part in Memorial, as properly, after which per week off after which out to San Diego.”