PGA Championship: Scheffler Holds Three-Shot Lead

Scottie Scheffler holds a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the PGA Championship after a stunning 65.

Scottie Scheffler has taken the lead heading into the final round of the PGA Championship, thanks to an impressive performance on Saturday. He made an eagle and three birdies in the last five holes, showcasing his exceptional skill and securing a three-stroke lead over Sweden's Alex Noren.

Scheffler's remarkable round saw him card a six-under par 65, bringing his total to 11-under 202 after 54 holes. As the top-ranked golfer and two-time Masters champion, Scheffler's focus now shifts to maintaining his lead and claiming the championship title.

Locked in. 🔒

Scottie Scheffler has the 54-hole lead at the PGA Championship. pic.twitter.com/dHbsPJNUtg

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) May 17, 2025

Scheffler reflected on his performance, saying, “I hung in there really well. I just battled really hard out there. It was hard. Did a good job of staying patient and hitting some nice shots.”

Americans Davis Riley and J.T. Poston tied for third place with a score of 206. Meanwhile, Jhonattan Vegas from Venezuela, who led after 36 holes, shot a 73 and dropped to a tie for fifth place with Spain's Jon Rahm and South Korea's Kim Si-woo, all on 207.

Just two weeks after securing his first PGA Tour title of the year and tying the record for the lowest 72-hole score in tour history, Scottie Scheffler delivered another exceptional performance. He carded a six-under par 65, putting him in a strong position to claim his first major championship beyond Augusta National.

Scheffler remained focused, acknowledging the strong competition behind him. “I have some great players chasing me on the leaderboard and it's going to take me another really great round,” he said, emphasizing the challenge ahead in his pursuit of the title.

Scheffler's round started with a bogey, but he quickly rebounded with a tap-in birdie at the fourth hole. He continued his strong play with an 18-foot birdie putt at the fifth hole and an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-five seventh hole.

Scheffler faced some challenges, stumbling with a bogey at the 11th hole. However, he responded well, making a birdie at the 12th hole. After a bogey at the 13th, he capitalized on a scoring opportunity with an eagle at the par-four 14th hole, landing his tee shot close to the hole and converting the short putt.

Scheffler continued his impressive play with a birdie at the 15th hole, sinking a putt from just inside five feet. He followed this with a strong tee shot at the 17th hole, dropping it just inside 18 feet and making the putt. Scheffler closed out his round with a nine-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole.

Scheffler reflected on his late surge, saying, “It was an important time in the round. I wanted to gain some momentum in the round and I was able to hit some good golf shots.” He added, “I definitely struck the ball a lot better than I had the past couple of days,” highlighting the improvement in his game.

After a seven-month layoff due to neck, hamstring, and glute injuries, 42-year-old Noren made a remarkable comeback, shooting a 6-under 66 that propelled him into contention. His impressive finish included four birdies in the last five holes.

Noren's surge began with a birdie putt from inside three feet at the 14th hole. He then made an extraordinary shot from a greenside bunker at the par-five 15th, holing out from 32 feet for another birdie. Adding to his momentum, Noren sank a birdie putt from just inside nine feet at the par-three 17th. He sealed his strong finish with a 16-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole.

“I just tried to get back to where I was before I was injured,” Noren said. “Today was probably the best scoring day I've ever had. So many bunker shots that kept me in the game and great shots at 17 and 18.”

“It's good to take a break, spend some time with the family... but it's also nice to be back in the life again with a purpose.”

Jhonattan Vegas's chances took a hit with back-to-back bogeys on the opening holes, squandering his overnight lead. He struggled early, finding pine straw near the trees on the first hole and missing a 24-foot par putt, then hitting near a cart path on the second hole and missing another par putt from 21 feet.

Despite the rocky start, the 40-year-old Vegas showed resilience, playing the rest of the round at even par. This allowed him to stay in contention, following his impressive performance on day one.

Davis Riley and J.T. Poston are both seasoned winners on the PGA Tour. Riley claimed his solo title last May at Colonial, while Poston's most recent win came last October in Las Vegas.

5-under on his final 5 holes of the day‼️

Scottie Scheffler enters the final round @PGAChampionship with a three-shot lead in pursuit of his third major title.pic.twitter.com/g0drcQjPiQ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 17, 2025

Jon Rahm had a strong stretch, carding birdies at the 14th, 15th, and 16th holes. However, a bogey at the 17th hole slowed his momentum. Rahm expressed his desire for a major win, saying, “Hard to express how hungry I may be for a major, about as hungry as anybody can be in this situation.”

Reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau struggled with a bogey at the 16th hole and a double bogey at the 17th after finding water, leaving him six strokes behind the leader.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, fresh from winning the Masters last month, and defending champion Xander Schauffele both carded 72, putting them at two-over par.