From the brink of capitulation to the cusp of glory, Alex Smalley authored one of the great Saturday turnarounds at Aronimink, transforming a nightmare start into a commanding two-stroke advantage heading into Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship.
The 29-year-old American, an unheralded journeyman chasing his maiden PGA Tour title in just his fifth major championship appearance, produced a masterclass in mental fortitude after haemorrhaging three bogeys across his opening four holes. What followed was nothing short of sensational, seven birdies in the final 12 holes, including a nerveless 13-footer at the last, to card a two-under 68 and reach six-under 204.
“It was tough. It was windy. Wasn’t giving myself a lot of good looks or even making the green at all,” Smalley admitted after his rollercoaster round. “Was lucky to be three-over after six. Steadied the ship after that.”
Steady would prove an understatement. The Ohio native orchestrated a stunning fightback, draining four birdies across his closing six holes, including a magnificent 27-footer at the 15th that announced his intentions to the chasing pack.
That pack, it must be said, remains formidable and frighteningly close. Saturday’s third round witnessed 14 different players hold a share of the lead at various junctures, whilst 21 competitors finished within four strokes of Smalley, eight of them major champions with the pedigree and steel to mount a Sunday charge.
“Looking forward to tomorrow,” Smalley said with admirable composure. “It’s going to be a difficult day. It’s something I haven’t experienced before. Certainly going to be a lot of thoughts going through my head.”
Rahm lurks ominously
Two shots adrift on 206 sits a quintet of dangerous contenders, headlined by Jon Rahm, the dual major winner who closed with a frustrating bogey after a stellar 67. The Spaniard, hunting his third major title and attempting to become the first from his nation to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy, remains supremely confident despite the congested leaderboard.
“I’m not overly surprised,” Rahm remarked of the bunched field. “It’s an extremely difficult golf course… you have to play really good golf to give yourself a chance out there.”
The 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion, who has dominated the LIV Golf circuit with back-to-back season titles and leads this campaign with two victories and three runners-up finishes, kick-started his round emphatically with birdie bombs from 22 feet at the first and 30 feet at the par-three fifth.
“That was a fantastic round of golf and thrilled to be in a good position for tomorrow,” Rahm added.
Joining the reigning LIV supremo on 206 are Germany’s Matti Schmid and Canada’s Nick Taylor – both firing sparkling 65s – alongside England’s Aaron Rai, who matched Rahm’s 67 despite a closing bogey, and Sweden’s rising star Ludvig Aberg.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s very tight,” Aberg observed. “There are a lot of good players within striking distance.”
Rai, having birdied six of his opening 11 holes, harbours ambitions of becoming the first Englishman to capture the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes claimed the inaugural two editions in 1916 and 1919 – a century-long drought he aims to end on Sunday.
McIlroy motors into contention
Three strokes back on 207, second-ranked Rory McIlroy lurks with menacing intent. The Northern Irishman, fresh off securing his sixth major title at last month’s Masters, scorched through the front nine with six birdies across his opening 13 holes before a stumble at the par-three 17th yielded his only bogey in an otherwise exemplary 66.
“I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into tomorrow,” McIlroy stated, his trademark confidence intact.
The four-time major champion finds himself in familiar company at three-under, joined by Americans Patrick Reed, Xander Schauffele, and Maverick McNealy – all possessing the firepower to mount a final-round assault.
McIlroy attributed the tighter scoring to greater course familiarity: “Some hole locations are a little more generous, but there are still some that have been tucked away. We just keep learning a little bit more about the golf course and getting a little more comfortable and that’s what you’re seeing today.”
Scheffler struggles to defend
Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler endured a scrappy 71 to limp to five-over 209, his title defence hanging by the slenderest of threads.
Also Read: Scheffler finally gets fast start to share lead at Aronimink
The world number one, typically unflappable under pressure, managed damage limitation rather than attacking golf.
“I did a good job hanging in there,” Scheffler conceded, his chances of back-to-back Wanamaker Trophies all but evaporated.
A dozen players congregated on 208, including England’s Justin Rose, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, and Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, riding high after last week’s PGA Tour triumph at Quail Hollow.
