Here’s Ewan Murray’s report:
So that’s an end to the 2017 men’s major season. The outstanding Justin Thomas joins Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth on this year’s roll of honour. Rickie Fowler looks on, genuinely pleased for his buddy, having shot a fine 67 today but with a major-shaped hole still in his heart. Next year, maybe, Rickie. Speaking of which, see you all again next April at the Masters? OK, it’s a date! Thanks for reading, everyone, and nighty night!
-8: Thomas
-6: Molinari, Reed, Oosthuizen
-5: Fowler, Matsuyama
-4: DeLaet, Kisner
-1: Smith, Kuchar, Day, Stroud
E: D Johnson, Leishman, Koepka, Moore, Harman, Hahn, Stenson, Casey, Brown
Justin Thomas, the winner of the 2017 PGA Championship, gets his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy! A smile, a lift, and a kiss! “I learned I needed to be a little bit patient at the US Open. I felt I had the game to get it done. To make a birdie at 17 was beyond a bonus. The ball on 10 was funny: I acted like a child and threw a tantrum, so I’m glad it went in because I don’t look so dumb!”
But this is all about the brilliant Justin Thomas, who emerged from a clustered pack and sealed glory at the par-threes: a chip in from 40 feet at 13, and a wonderful draw into 17 to 15 feet. Though of course it all started on the back nine when his ball teased him on the lip at 10, before eventually toppling into the cup! We should have known it was going to be his day there and then! But how he seized the day! And this brilliant young man is about to deservedly lift the Wanamaker Trophy!
Kisner takes his penalty drop ... and duffs his chip. This is proving a costly hole for the final pair. Stroud nearly rakes home his long par putt, but that bogey drops him to -1. A disappointing 76 today, the damage on the back nine, coming home in 40. Then Kisner watches his 20-foot bogey effort horseshoe out. He tidies up for double. That’s a 74, and he ends up at -4. Polite applause for the pair as they trudge off, their hopes and dreams left out on the course.
While Thomas checks, double-checks, and triple-checks his card, then shakes the hand of pretty much everyone in the Carolinas, let’s see out the last knockings of this tournament. Poor old Chris Stroud’s challenge rather petered out, with double bogey at 16 and bogey at 17. He’s currently -2, and is playing three out of greenside sand. His ball stops 30 feet short of the flag, his spirit finally broken. But he’s been brilliant this week. This time last week, of course, he hadn’t even qualified for this championship. But now he’s won his first PGA Tour event, and played in the last pairing at a major. It’s not the ultimate dream ... but it’s been a pretty good week, no?
Justin Thomas wins the 2017 PGA Championship!
Kisner, from the centre of the fairway, sends a high draw towards the green ... and his ball plonks in the water. Thomas is officially the winner of the 99th PGA Championship!
Kisner splits the 18th fairway with his tee shot. So this is not over yet. But it pretty much is. Look!
-8: Thomas (F)
-6: Molinari (F), Reed (F), Oosthuizen (F), Kisner (17)
Matsuyama chips to four feet. Thomas lags his putt to 18 inches. Matsuyama polishes off: that’s a 72 and he finishes at -5. And then Thomas taps in! Kisner has just parred 17, so that’s the job done! Unless Kisner can somehow hole out from the fairway at 18 for eagle. Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler are greenside, cheering their mate on. Everyone knows it’s done, but not officially, so the celebrations are respectfully muted so far. But the smiles and the handshakes tell the story! Justin Thomas: major champion! Pretty much.
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Thomas is 92 yards to the hole, in the rough to the right. He walks all the way up to the green to size up the situation. He blows out hard. To be fair to him, it’s easy to forget he’s only 24. The pressure of closing out a major can addle the brain. He walks back slowly, collecting himself. And sends a very sensible wedge into the heart of the green. It bounces towards the back, and he’s pin high, with a 25-footer for his par. He’s calmed himself down very cleverly there; going for that walk up to the green and back gave him time to regulate his breathing after making that misjudgement from the sand.
Thomas is faced with the lip of the bunker. He can’t reach the green, so surely he should just ease this ball carefully up the fairway with his wedge. But he takes 7-iron and sends it into the thick stuff down the right of the hole. Hmm. That’s not a clever play at all. Meanwhile Matsuyama’s driven in the creek down the left. He drops out, and sends his third straight at the flag, hidden away at the back left of the green. He had no choice, really. It squirts into the fringe at the back. He’ll need to knock that in, and hope Thomas continues to make ludicrous decisions on the other side of the hole.
You’ll have noticed Louis Oosthuizen’s finished at -6. That’s because he raked in a 60-footer up 18 for birdie! He’s got a share of the clubhouse lead, but he requires Justin Thomas to do a Jason Day. And back on the tee, Thomas smashes his drive into the bunker down the right. This isn’t over yet. Not quite. Though as Kisner has just three-putted from 100 feet at 16, the leader just has to play smart, and he’s home and hosed.
-9: Thomas (17)
-6: Molinari (F), Reed (F), Oosthuizen (F), Matsuyama (17), Kisner (16)
Kisner’s second into 16 lands on the green, but it’s in Oosthuizen Country. He’ll do well to get down for his par from there. Then again, he’s been putting so well this week, you’d put nothing past him. Up on 17, Matsuyama, whose tee shot only found the front middle of the green, lags up wonderfully to a couple of feet. Par, but he really needed birdie. He stays at -6. And, Kisner and the 18th hole aside, that could be that! Because Thomas tickles his 15-footer straight at the cup. The ball threatens to slide off to the left at the last, but the cup grabs it and sucks it down! Birdie! He’s very close to his first major. And yet so far.
-9: Thomas (17)
-7: Kisner (15)
-6: Molinari (F), Reed (F), Oosthuizen (F), Matsuyama (17)
Reed elects to lob high going into 18, and his ball settles softly on the green, 20 feet from the flag. What a costly mistake, because his putt stops 18 inches from the cup. A bogey at the last, and he’s signing for a 67. He’s got a share of the clubhouse lead at -6 with Francesco Molinari ... and meantime, Justin Thomas turns the screw a little by sending a high draw into the par-three 17th that curls to a stop 15 feet from the hole!
Thomas strokes a nerve-free putt into the cup, a right-to-left slider which keeps him in the lead! Matsuyama’s turn. He’s coming from the other side, a left-to-right tickler ... and it horseshoes out on the left! A bogey that might have cost him a chance of this championship!
-8: Thomas (16)
-7: Reed (17), Kisner (15)
-6: Molinari (F), Matsuyama (16)
Thomas is faced with a long bunker shot. And he plays it wonderfully, caressing his ball to six feet. Matsuyama, down a bank and with his ball in tangled nonsense, lobs it up with Mickelsonesque precision to six feet as well. Two big putts coming up here. Up on 18, Reed decides to go for broke from the sand. He lashes a fine iron forward, but it stops just before the green. He’ll have a testing up and down for his par and the new clubhouse lead. And on 15, Kisner taps in to make it back-to-back birdies! He’s just one off the lead at -7! Green Mile coming up, of course.
Matsuyama’s second into 16 flies into the Bermuda grass at the back of the green. Thomas meanwhile thins one into the bunker front right! Both men struggling for par here. Tell you what, if Patrick Reed could play the 18th in par, his might be the position you’d take. Problem is, he’s just driven into the bunker down the right of the hole. Good luck in calling the winner of this one! Especially as Kevin Kisner has just lagged his monster eagle putt at 15 to four feet.
Matsuyama hooks his drive down the right of 16. Thomas smokes one over a bunker down the same side of the hole, though he might have snagged in the first cut. Back on 15, Kisner smashes his second into the heart of the green, while Stroud sends his second short and right. But both will fancy their chances of making birdie.
Oosthuizen’s eagle buzz is quickly harshed at 16. Having driven into sand, he can only find the front of the green, with the flag at the back, the best part of 100 feet away. He woefully misreads the long, long first putt, the ball breaking 20 feet to the right, and it’s a three-putt bogey. He’s back to -5, and running out of road. By contrast, Reed makes par on 17, lagging up his first putt from 50 feet to tap-in distance.
-8: Thomas (15)
-7: Reed (17), Matsuyama (15)
-6: Molinari (F), Kisner (14)
Thomas’s putt has a huge left-to-right break. He sets it miles out to the side, and it looks like swinging into the cup in a perfect arc. But somehow it viciously turns even further to the right at the last. A par, and he stays at -8. His partner Matsuyama decides he isn’t going to die wondering, and sends his birdie effort rattling into the cup at 100 mph. Back-to-back birdies, and what a response to those three bogeys in a row! He’s -7.
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Birdie for Kevin Kisner at 14! He’s back to -6 after a quiet spell, and not out of this yet. Par for Chris Stroud, who remains at -5. Patrick Reed, having secured par at 16 with two long putts, sends his tee shot at 17 onto the dancefloor, but a fair way from the pin. And a nice little chip down onto 15 by Matsuyama, but he’ll be left with a 12 footer for his birdie. Thomas is a couple of feet outside him, after a fairly average wedge into the green. Nerves are jangling, tingling and a-clanging.
Molinari strokes his par putt straight into the centre of the cup! That’s a 67, and he’s the new clubhouse leader at -6! Another year for poor old Rickie Fowler, then. And could it be enough? Because the nerves are jangling out on the course. Matsuyama sends his second into 15 way out right, landing it into the punters atop the hill next to the green. He’s not got much green to work with, coming down a huge drop. Thomas meanwhile leaves his second way short, a complete mishit. And on 16, Oosthuizen toys with the water on the left of the green, but his second sticks on the short stuff, just. He’ll have a long two putts for his par, though.
Oh this is sheer brilliance from Francesco Molinari! He nearly slam-dunks his third at 18 into the cup from 80 yards. It bounces onto the fringe at the rear, before spinning back to six feet. He’ll have that putt for his par, a 67, and the clubhouse lead. What a pressure putt, though. The worry is almost crumpling the poor guy’s face right now. He wipes his brow, and goes away for a wee think.
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Thomas and Matsuyama thrash blooters down the par-five 15th. This is just so much fun! It’s non-stop! Up on 18, poor Molinari is forced to lay up from the sand. He’ll need an up and down if he wants the clubhouse lead at Fowler’s expense.
-8: Thomas (14)
-7: Reed (15)
-6: Molinari (17), Oosthuizen (15), Matsuyama (14)
-5: Fowler (F), Kisner (13), Stroud (13)
On 13, Stroud can only guide his second up to eight feet. He misreads, hitting it straight when there’s a big right-to-left break on it. He drops to -5. Kisner manages to lag up from the depression to a couple of feet and saves his par: he remains at -5. But what about this on the par-five 15th?! Louis Oosthuizen might not be finished yet! From the fringe, he lands a chip 15 feet from the flag, releases his ball, and it trickles into the left of the cup in a gentle arc! Eagle, and he’s just two off the lead at -6!
Thomas very nearly drains his birdie putt from off the green at the short par-four 14th. Par will have to do, the penultimate Good Birdie Chance passed up. He’s -8. Matsuyama tucks his birdie putt away. Birdie that breaks a run of three bogeys, and he’s -6.
Stroud and Kisner disappear into Matsuyama’s Swale to the right of 13. A good long two-putt par for Molinari on 17, but he finds sand with his driver on 18 and his head drops a little. Meanwhile Thomas’s tee shot at 14 sails into the thick stuff high on the right of the hole. With water behind the green, he’s not of a mind to overhit his chip down, and leaves his second short of the green. Matsuyama, however, having crashed his drive just short of the green, clips a delicious second to three feet.
How quickly things change. There were five players at -7 a few minutes ago! Kisner can’t get up and down from the side of 12, and he drops back, three off the new lead. Stroud manages to scramble his par. And Reed very nearly chips in for eagle at 15 but kicks in for birdie: he’s one off Thomas!
-8: Thomas (13)
-7: Reed (15)
-6: Molinari (16), Stroud (12)
-5: Fowler (F), Matsuyama (13), Kisner (12)
On 18, Fowler gets up and down from 190 yards to save par! He knocks in a ten-foot saver, and the gallery goes wild! He’s back in 32, signing for a 67, and is the new clubhouse leader at -5! That might not be enough. But it might be enough! Ah, but it’s looking less likely, because from the fringe to the left of 13, Justin Thomas chips in a 50-footer for birdie! He’s -8, and suddenly three ahead of his partner Hideki Matsuyama, who can’t get up and down from the right of the green!
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Poor tee shots at the par-three 13th from both Thomas and Matsuyama, the former to the left of the green, the latter down a swale to the right. Kisner hoicks his second at 12 into trouble down the left; Stroud, mud on his ball, lands his pin high but a good 30 feet from the hole. Molinari floats a gorgeous chip down onto the 16th green, but the ten-footer he leaves himself stays high on the left. Bogey, and he’s out of the lead at -6.
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Birdie for Patrick Reed at the 14th, and he’s within a shot of the lead! Meanwhile Jason Day signs for a 70. He ends the week at -1, and will be seriously ruing that ludicrous decision to go for broke with a big hook while behind a tree down 18 last night. That quadruple bogey has really cost him. Imagine if he was posting a new clubhouse lead at -5! As it is, he joins Matt Kuchar and Jordan Smith in the actual clubhouse lead. But still, y’know.
-7: Molinari (15), Thomas (12)
-6: Reed (14), Matsuyama (12), Stroud (11), Kisner (11)
-5: Fowler (17)
Golf Isn’t Easy dept. On 11, Kisner and Stroud take turns to chip to six feet. And then they take turns to yip their par putts. They’re back to -6. Matsuyama flashes his approach to 12 through the green, then goes straight underneath his ball with his wedge. His second chip is close enough to salvage bogey, but he’s -6 too. His partner Thomas lands his 15 feet short of the flag; the birdie putt doesn’t drop, but he’s more than happy with his par. He stays at -7, which will probably give him the lead on his own soon, because there’s trouble for Molinari down 16: he finds sand down the right, then dumps his second into thick oomska high on a hill to the right of the green.
This is outrageously entertaining! The 99th PGA took an awfully long time to heat up, but wow, it’s been worth the wait. An eagle for Chez Reavie at 15, and he’s -2. He could sell that to one of the five leaders for cash money. A brilliant up and down for Fowler, from the swale front right of the par-three 17th, and he saves his par to remain at -5.
Kisner’s drive at 11 finds sand down the left. His second is pushed wide right of the green, and he’ll have a very awkward pitch down from a bank with not much short grass to play with. Stroud’s second goes through the back. Tests for both. Meanwhile on 15, Molinari fluffs a chip coming into the green, the ball toppling back off the putting surface. But no matter! He takes his putter out anyway, and trundles a 30-footer into the cup for a birdie that gives him a five-way share of the lead at -7!
Will you look at this! Play-off ahoy!
-7: Matsuyama (11), Thomas (11), Kisner (10), Stroud (10)
-6: Molinari (14)
-5: Fowler (16), Reed (12)
But Kisner has left himself a straight uphill putt from 12 feet, and he carefully guides it into the cup for his first birdie of the day! After a shaky period, he’s back in the saddle at -7. Par for Stroud. Up on 11, Matsuyama sends his second into the rough to the right of the pin, then clanks his chip four feet past. And he pushes the par putt to the right! It lips out and that’s a very clumsy bogey. His partner Thomas, having flown his second over the flag, takes two putts from the fringe for his par. And par for Fowler at 16; he stays at -5, and that’s one third of the Green Mile safely negotiated.
Thomas and Matsuyama blooter huge drives down 11. Neither Kisner nor Stroud can reach the par-five 10th in two strokes, and their wedges don’t go particularly close. A good two-putt par from distance on 12 by Reed to remain at -5. Bogey for Oosthuizen at 11; he drops to -4. And birdie for Molinari at 14: he’s -6!
Matsuyama snatches back the lead in outrageous circumstances! His blast out of sand is no good, really, whistled 25 feet past the hole. But he strokes in the birdie putt to move to -8! Yep, if he gets that putter going, everyone else might as well head straight for the 19th to drown their sorrows. Thomas meanwhile leaves his chip from the back ten feet short. He then leaves his putt on the lip, and looks the picture of misery. But how about this for outrageous?! He turns his back, drops his head, spins, strides forward to tap in, and explodes in delight as the ball topples in of its own accord! Birdie ... after a fashion! He’s -7, and this is turning into an afternoon of the most wonderfully unpredictable drama!
-8: Matsuyama (10)
-7: Thomas (10), Stroud (9)
-6: Kisner (9)
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Stroud joins Matsuyama in the lead! He knocks in his birdie putt, just reward for that astonishing approach from the thick rough. Meanwhile a fourth birdie in a row for Rickie Fowler, this latest one at the par-five 15th. The Green Mile to come. He’s -5. Can he set a serious target?
-7: Matsuyama (9), Stroud (9)
-6: Thomas (9), Kisner (9)
-5: Fowler (15), Molinari (13), Oosthuizen (10), Reed (11)
From the fringe at the back of 11, Reed very nearly curls in a 30-footer for birdie. The width of a dimple away. He stays at -5. Back on the par-five 10th, Thomas booms his second through the back, while Matsuyama finds sand to the left, shortsiding himself. Neither man taking particular advantage of those lucky breaks.
What a shot from Chris Stroud! His drive at 9 nestles in the thick stuff down the right. No worries! He lashes his second into the heart of the green, the ball curling round towards the cup and stopping pin high, eight feet from the hole! Kisner makes the green in regulation, in much less spectacular fashion. But on a major Sunday, unspectacular regulation will suffice!
Could this be Justin Thomas’s day? He hooks a wild drive into the trees down the left of 10. His ball pinballs in the branches, and ricochets back into the fairway! His partner, the leader Hideki Matsuyama, also gets a lucky bounce: it looks as though is ball is skittering into sand down the left, but it takes a very kindly bounce at a right angle and stays safely on the short stuff!
Kisner’s second at 8 goes into the Matsuyama Cabbage. He doesn’t chip out particularly confidently, knocking his ball six feet past the cup. He does very well to stroke in the par saver and remain at -6. That’s a settler after finding water and bogeying the previous hole. Stroud however clips his approach to ten feet, and knocks in the birdie putt. He’s -6. Meanwhile on 9, Thomas rakes in a monster to move to -6 too! Matsuyama tries to follow him in, but doesn’t hit it. And it’s back-to-back birdies for Molinari, a shot picked up this time at 12! He’s -5! This is some leaderboard!
-7: Matsuyama (9)
-6: Thomas (9), Kisner (8), Stroud (8)
-5: Molinari (12), Reed (10), Oosthuizen (9)
-4: Fowler (14)
Patrick Reed is this close to steering in a right-to-left 20-footer for eagle on 10. Birdie will do, though, and he’s right in this tournament at -5 alongside Oosthuizen, Thomas and Stroud, just a couple off the lead. Birdie for Fowler, his third in a row, at 14 and he’s -4. This field has bunched up all right. Three-hole play-off coming up later, perm any combination from ten, place your bets!
Jordan Smith, the 24-year-old from Bath playing in his first major championship, signs for a 68! The European Open champion finishes at -1. That’s a superb performance. His playing partner Matt Kuchar signed for a 68 too: the pair are the current clubhouse leaders. Back-to-back bogeys for Sung Kang at 11 and 12, and he’s -1.
Kisner gives his par putt at 7 a chance, but it drifts off to the left and that’s cost him a shot and a share of the lead. This is the first time he’s not been in the lead since Thursday morning. He still looks inscrutable. Stroud takes two putts from the fringe to scramble his par and stay at -5. The new leader Hideki Matsuyama gets up and down from the thick stuff behind 8, and stays at -7. And Molinari repairs the damage of that six at 10 with birdie at 11, and he’s -4 again. This is hotting up!
-7: Matsuyama (8)
-6: Kisner (7)
-5: Oosthuizen (9), Thomas (8), Stroud (7)
-4: Molinari (11), Reed (9)
Back-to-back birdies for Rickie Fowler at 12 and 13: he’s -3 and ... he couldn’t, could he?! Meanwhile back on 7, Kisner drops and eases a wedge over the flag to 15 feet. He’ll at least have a chance of saving his par, another demonstration of his admirable mental resilience. He’ll be quaking inside, of course, but he looks ice-cool right now. Stroud also has a job on his hands to save par. Having found sand from the tee and chipped out, he sends a heavy-handed third off the back of the green, for a second looking as though he’d found the water. But it snags in the fringe. Phew.
Disaster for Kisner on 7! From the middle of the fairway, he slices a 3-iron into the water to the right of the green! And it’s not ideal for Matsuyama on 8, either: he flies his easy wedge from 80 yards over the green and into the thick stuff. He’s not got much green to play with chipping back.
Matsuyama found the par-five 7th in two, though his eagle putt is a long one, and over a ridge running through the green to boot. He gets the pace right, but the ball dies off to the left and leaves a shaky four footer for birdie, not totally unlike the one he had on the opening hole. This one goes in, though. That’s back-to-back birdies, and he’s tied for the lead! If he gets that putter going, the rest of the field may as well go home. Thomas had a long one for eagle as well, and very nearly drained his, but it died off to the left with the very last turn. Still, that’s a birdie, and he’s back to -5. Back-to-back birdies for local hero Grayson Murray on 7 and 8, and he’s suddenly reignited his bid, albeith with a stroke of luck, a heavy chip clattered from the side of 8 hitting the flag and dropping instead of scooting way past. But a three-putt bogey for Molinari on 10. He drops to -3.
-7: Matsuyama (7), Kisner (6)
-5: Oosthuizen (8), Thomas (7), Stroud (6)
-4: Reed (8), Murray (8)
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Kisner’s putt has a big right-to-left curl. He reads it perfectly, but fails to hit it. One more turn, and that would have been his first birdie of the day. He’s on a Faldoesque march here, pars all the way. He stays at -7. Stroud splashes out to six feet, but his par putt stays high on the left. He’s two behind Kisner now. Leader board in a minute, because up on the par-five 7th, Matsuyama is putting for eagle...
The leader Kisner has never finished in the top ten of a major. But he does have pedigree: a play-off defeat to Rickie Fowler at the 2015 Players, the unofficial “fifth” major, and a second place at the WGC HSBC Champions the same year. He lands his tee shot at the par-three 6th pin high, and will have a look at birdie from 12 feet. Stroud dumps his in the bunker guarding the front. Up on 10, the in-form Sung Kang makes his third birdie in four holes to move to -3.
Kisner drives into another bunker, this time down the right of 5. He was super-accurate yesterday, but that’s two fairways missed already today. Could this be his undoing? His second bounces hot through the green and into the cabbage at the back. He sends a fine chip scuttling down to the flag, though, leaving a five-footer to save his par. He’s never missing. Even when he makes a mistake, he has the courage to salvage the situation. Let’s wait until the back nine of this major Sunday, of course, when the real business begins. Still, it’s a very impressive performance. Stroud meanwhile very nearly birdies, knocking his second pin high to 12 feet, but the putt does to the right. He stays at -6. On 6, birdie for Matsuyama, the prize for a gorgeous tee shot to ten feet. He’s a shot off Kisner’s lead at -6. And up on 7, Louis Oosthuizen trundles a monster eagle effort to 18 inches. He taps it in to return to -5.
Matt Kuchar makes back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15! Those go with earlier ones at 2 and 8, and at -2 the Open runner-up is heading for yet another high finish in a major tournament. Also making back-to-back birdies: Patrick Reed, who after an opening par has played the next six holes thus ... bogey, birdie, birdie, bogey, birdie. birdie. He’s -4, and a major champion in waiting, despite his patchy record in the things so far. Could this be his breakthrough moment?
Two putts for Kisner for par, but Stroud’s never missing his birdie effort. That’s just reward for a superb tee shot. He moves back to within one of the lead at -6. Stroud looks very calm, a result of his policy decision not to give a flying one any more. It’s the modern equivalent of Jack Nicklaus humming Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head to himself as he sashayed around the course. Also, may I respectfully disagree with my learned colleague Will Macpherson’s earlier remarks regarding Stroud’s checked trousers (7.27pm): I think they look rather fetching, in an old-school way. They’d match very well with a bunnet! Thomas meanwhile can’t make his 12-footer for birdie on 5, but Matsuyama gets up and down from the bunker to scramble his par.
-7: Kisner (4)
-6: Stroud (4)
-5: Matsuyama (5)
-4: Molinari (8), Oosthuizen (6), Thomas (5)
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Chris Stroud creams his tee shot at 4 to five feet. Kevin Kisner’s effort flies over the flag into Matsuyama Country. Speaking of the man himself, he’s going up the 5th on a bunker tour. He faces a tricky up and down having shortsided himself. But Thomas arrows his second to 12 feet. There could be a bit of leaderboard movement coming up.
Kisner has a good 50 yards to cover with his chip onto 3, up and over the big false front. He does very well to lob it to six feet. And in goes another par saver! What a marvellous up and down. A calm par for Stroud. Two putts for Thomas and Matsuyama at 4, and they stay as they were. Double bogey for Grayson Murray at 6, the result of some faffing around front-right of the green, and he slips back to -2. Meanwhile up on 18, the Open champion Jordan Spieth’s first bid to complete his career grand slam ends in failure. A 70 today, he ends the week +2, and I agree with you, dear reader, I think he’ll be back for another go.
Ian Poulter bogeys the last, but signs for a 69. He’s +1 and will end the week very respectably. It’s been heartwarming to see his late-career renaissance this year. Matsuyama’s tee shot at the par-three 4th flies over the flag. Dead straight, but he’ll have a tricky putt over a ridge coming back from 20 feet for birdie. Thomas goes much closer, eight feet from the flag. Meanwhile back on 3, the leader Kisner drives into a bunker down the right, and can’t reach the dancefloor with his second. He’ll have a task getting up and down from distance. And another birdie for Molinari, this time on 7, to go with the shot he picked up at the opening hole. He’s -4, and right in this tournament now!
On 3, Thomas bundles his chip from the back of the green four feet past the hole. It’s not enough to save his par, because the putt coming back lips out on the right. He drops to -4 again. Matsuyama meanwhile can’t make his birdie putt. He remains at -5. Nobody appears to be in the mood to charge at Kisner, and Kisner doesn’t seem to be about to crumble. Yet. Just the 16 holes to go, of course, as he attempts to close out his first major. No biggie.
-7: Kisner (2)
-5: Matsuyama (3), Stroud (2)
-4: Oosthuizen (4), Thomas (3), Murray (4)
-3: Molinari (6), Woodland (6)
Kisner’s long putt across 2 dies off to the left, abruptly so, leaving a tricky five footer for par. But it goes straight into the cup. He’s been so steady all week, and he’s opened with a pair of pars here. He’s -7. Stroud meanwhile nearly rakes in his birdie putt, but the ball somehow stays up on the left lip. That looked in all the way. Did the hole move?! He stays at -5.
Stroud’s second into 2 is very tidy, landing on the fringe at the rear before rolling back towards the flag. He’ll have a decent look for birdie. Kisner meanwhile is pin high in two, but with a long putt across the green to come. Up on 3, Thomas gets a break when he sends his tee shot into a tree to the left of the hole. But he’s still in the first cut, and his approach takes a flyer through the green. Matsuyama, in the middle of the fairway, slaps his second into the flagstick! How’s about that for accuracy?! His ball bounces 20 feet to the right. A half-chance for birdie, but perhaps more importantly it allows him a smile, which might loosen him up a bit. He’s been tense since missing that putt on the 1st.
That missed putt on 1 seems to have taken a little wind out of Matsuyama’s sail. His approach at 2 ends up in the thick grass to the left of the green. His chip on is weak, and his par putt from eight feet isn’t much better. From looking like moving into a share on 1, he’s suddenly now a couple off the pace. But Justin Thomas, on in two, rolls in a 25-footer to make birdie, and moves back to -5. What a response to that sandy start! And up on 4, Patrick Reed very nearly holes his tee shot; he’ll kick in from 18 inches or so to move to -3. Kisner suddenly in charge here, though.
-7: Kisner (1)
-5: Matsuyama (2), Thomas (2), Stroud (1)
-4: Oosthuizen (3), Murray (3)
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Many thanks to Will there, a gent and a scholar. And what a bogey putt by Justin Thomas on the first green back there! That’ll settle some obvious nerves. Three bunkers in one hole: welcome to our world, Justin. Patrick Reed has played the first three holes in level par: par, bogey, birdie. He’s -2. Birdie for Graham DeLaet on 3; that cancels out bogey at 2, and he’s -2. But Chris Stroud can’t get up and down from the back of 1 and he drops to -5. And Kevin Kisner follows Hideki Matsuyama’s lead by missing a fairly simple birdie putt on that opening hole. He stays at -7, though, one ahead of Matsuyama.
Right, with the leaders out there, our main man is back: I’ll hand over to Scott Murray. Thanks for your company.
Chris Stroud was in the light rough on the first, but sat up. He flushed it, and it looked a belter, landing on the deck. It’s bounced his through, though. His partner Kisner was on the fairway and has now cosied it up nearly the flag... He’ll have a putt to extend his lead.
Marc Leishman shoves in a very fine birdie putt on 18 to card a 67 and finish his week level par. Great effort.
Meanwhile, Grayson Murray has started par, birdie and moves to -4...
So here the final pair go.
Kevin Kisner first up. He’s looked chilled all day. His is a wild swing, tight line, and it’s a belter. Now Chris Stroud and those dire strides. A shame that he’s gone for them, really. He’s coming off it a touch, but appears to have got away with it: it’s just sat up in the first cut.
Justin Thomas! He’s found three different bunkers on the first hole, but has held a magnificent long putt for bogey! Genuine escape. His third shot went from one greenside bunker to the next. Grim. Saved it, though: he’s -4.
And now Matsuyama! He slid his birdie putt, an ugly looking thing, past the hole but held to stay -6.
Matsuyama will have a birdie chance on the first. His second is superb, and he is about five foot away I reckon. Thomas, meanwhile, goes from one bunker to the next, tugging it a touch and finding one of the greenside numbers. Plopped in so shouldn’t be too devilish.
Dustin Johnson shot a 67, one better than Rory M, and is the clubhouse leader on level par. 60-somethings are out there.
Hideki Matsuyama (-6) gets a big cheer on the first tee. He fires a beauty up the middle after that long delay at the top of his swing, and an age over the ball. Justin Thomas (-5) follows him, but he’s fired it past Matsuyama’s ball and into the bunker! He doesn’t seem too perturbed.
Just can’t help but feel the winner is going to come from this pairing.
Oosthuizen has dropped back to -4 with a bogey at the first...
Woodland makes that birdie and moves to -3. Francesco Molinari has moved to that score too.
Spieth makes two birdies on the spin and three in four holes! But he’s still only +2. Too little, too late.
Gary Woodland, who is -2, has a superb birdie chance on 2. His approach is dead-eyed, and he is within five foot, I’d say.
Chris Stroud, unfortunately, has gone for a truly awful pair of trousers for the biggest day of his career. Shame. Will get a pic in here when I can.
And Fowler taps in for his birdie to move to -1!
Jason Day is back in the red too! He sinks a handy putt on five to move to -1, after that truly horrid ending last night. Some meltdown, that.
There’s a birdie for Jordan Spieth as well, but that only takes him to +3. He registered a seven on the 7th and is a long way back.
Rickie Fowler’s on the fourth, wearing some typically flamboyant final day orange trousers. Anyway, his tee shot there is a beauty and takes him to six foot via a fine old bounce, skipping just beyond the front bunker.
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Oooh talk of a thunderstorm. No thanks. Very humid again, by all accounts, taking it from about 85F to 106F! Ouchy. Gonna be dripping after five hours out there.
Rory’s in with a fourth round 68, so ends with 285 (+1), and is currently tied for 23rd. He looks rather glum. Clubhouse leader, though. Webb Simpson shot a 69 today, but everyone else who’s done and dusted carded in the 70s.
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Hello! Will Macpherson here to guide you through the next hour or so from Quail Hollow as Scott refuels for his big night ahead. There are still four groups to head out onto the course at, ya know, the business end of the leaderboard.
Want to contact me? You can do that. I’m available for longer messages at the ever so chunky will.macpherson.freelance@theguardian.com, and for your pithiest thoughts, find me at @willis_macp. Can’t wait to hear from y’all.
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A no-fuss par down 18 for Rory McIlroy, and he’s signing for his best-of-week 68. He ends the week at +1, a thundering disappointment given his pre-tournament status as favourite, but more understandable given the revelation about the state of his injured ribs. Meanwhile bogey for Rickie Fowler at 2, and he slips to level par, the already-slim chance of breaking his major duck now gone.
And with that I’m off to guzzle down some vinegary meat, a few Krispy Kremes, and seven pints of Cheerwine. Hey, when in Rome, NC. The kindly Will Macpherson will be your guide for the next hour, and I’ll see you again soon, when the leaders are all out and about.
Bogey for DA Points at 9, and he slips back to level par, though he’s reached the turn in 32. Pars for Dustin Johnson on 16 and 17; the big man’s homing in on a 67, if he can just safely negotiate 18. The new European Open champion Jordan Smith continues to enjoy his PGA debut: birdies at 5 and 7 bring him up the leader board to level par. He’s alongside James Hahn and Robert Streb on the standings, both Americans one under for their rounds through the first four holes.
No fast start for Rickie Fowler, who really needs one if he’s to entertain any sort of chance of worrying the leading pack. Par at the opening hole, and he stays at -1. As does Jason Day ahead of him, with par on 2. Marc Leishman is going along nicely, as he so often does in major championships without ever quite breaking through. Birdies at 5, 7 and now 14 rise him up the standings to +1.
The end to Jason Day’s round last night was possibly the daftest in the entire history of major-championship golf. Take your medicine and chip out, man! Chip out! But instead, he tried to hoick a Hollywood hook round a tree trunk, found a bunch of bushes, and the resulting quadruple bogey is history. Has there ever been a sillier way to play yourself out of contention in a major? Anyway, the mercurial Aussie naturally goes from the ridiculous to the sublime: on the opening hole today, he splashes out from a greenside bunker and into the cup. Not a single player birdied that hole yesterday! The rollercoaster ride we call golf, right there, ladies and gentlemen. Anyway, the birdie immediately sends him to -1, and he’ll be in the mood to go hell for leather, just to see where it might lead him. If he posts a score ... well, it’s extremely unlikely that he’ll win. But you never know until you try. Meanwhile up on 17, it’s two putts for Rory and he mooches on to the last hole, looking for a birdie that’d see him end this tournament evens with Quail Hollow.
A comfortable two-putt par for McIlroy on 16. He remains at +1. Now then, here comes the par-three 17th. The flag’s out on the left, near the water. Let’s see if he takes this on, with not too much to lose. Play really has slowed up, though, in the wake of that Dufner ruling. (He bogeyed 16 after finding that tent, and drops to +6.) Hopefully this won’t have a knock-on effect all the way back down the field, because the players were going round at an entertainingly slick lick beforehand. Anyway, he sends an easy 5-iron into the heart of the green, allowing the camber to take the ball a little towards the cup to the left. He’s got a 20-foot uphill putt for birdie, and there will be players further up the leader board who would pay cash money for that shot later on.
Dustin Johnson continues to entertain in his inimitable fashion. Bogeys at 12 and 13 are followed up by birdies at 14 and 15; he’s back to level par for this championship. Just five pars today. At four under for his round, he’s the hottest player out on the course today. So far. There are definitely scores out here; it promises to be an entertaining final day’s play. Up ahead on 16, McIlroy bombs his drive over the tree standing on the left-right dogleg, cutting off the corner. That’s long. Then he sends his second straight at the flag ... but it’s half a club short. It should be a fairly easy two-putt for par.
Rory McIlroy has followed up that birdie at 14 with another at the par-five 15th. So here he is, taking his first steps along the Green Mile at +1. It should be fun to see how the 2012 and 2014 winner treats this stretch in demob-happy mode. A bit of a pause in play, though, because up ahead the 2013 champion Jason Dufner wanged his tee shot into a hospitality tent, and had to hang about to get a ruling. Action anon.
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DA Points threatened the lead on the opening day of this 99th PGA Championship. A fine 68 saw him sitting a shot behind Kevin Kisner, who has stayed the pace so far, and Thorbjorn Olesen, who has not. Darren Andrew followed that up with a couple of workaday rounds, 73 and 74, but he’s come out in the mood today: birdies at 3, 5 and 7, and he’s -1 for the tournament. A wee bit too far down that leader board to contemplate posting a revised version, but a couple more birdies for the 40-year-old from Illinois, and we should probably think about it.
The two-time PGA champ Vijay Singh shot a fairly ugly 79 yesterday. But he’s acquitted himself well today, a one-under 70 to end the tournament at +10. Meanwhile a miserable end to the week for Anirban Lahiri, who came home in 41 strokes, shot 78, and ends bottom of the pile (for now) at +15. That’s a couple of shots worse than the one club pro to survive the weekend, the former Tour player Omar Uresti. A decent 73 today for the 49-year-old from Austin, Texas, though this finish isn’t his best in a major: that was a tie for 45th in the 1995 US Open, when he was still a member of the PGA Tour.
Ian Poulter has certainly enjoyed 2017, though. For a while back there, it looked as though he was going to lose his Tour card after a period of injury and poor form. But there had been a clerical error, and a recalculation of his points from the previous season threw him a lifeline. Permitted entry into the Players, he characteristically started scrapping, grabbing his chance with both hands. A tie for second at Sawgrass was the beginning of a renaissance. He challenged for the Open at Birkdale, and now he’s threatening to finish strongly here: birdies at 1, 2 and now 7 have propelled the admirable European Ryder Cup star to level par for the championship.
Much was expected of Rory McIlroy this week, but, well, y’know. Like Dustin Johnson, he’s clearly in the mood to make a statement, however small, before a disappointing year in the majors comes to an end. He birdied 5 and 7, then bogeyed 8, but has regained his momentum by taking advantage of a huge stroke of luck at the driveable par-four 14th. His tee shot was sailing into the greenside water, but landed on the bank and somehow snagged. He chipped up to four feet and nailed the birdie putt. He’s +2.
An update on the weather. It’s been sunny all morning, though the afternoon is likely to be mainly cloudy, with the odd scattered shower. It’ll stay hot and humid, with temperatures rising near to 90 degrees. Phew, what a scorcher. There are thunderstorms likely to gather over North Carolina this afternoon, but the forecast suggests they’ll skate by to the east of Charlotte. Fingers crossed they stay away from Quail Hollow, and there are no breaks in play. The forecasts have been reasonably accurate all week, so here’s to further success for the PGA meteorologists.
Webb Simpson is a local lad, born a few miles down the road in Raleigh. The 2012 US Open champ has been showing off his local knowledge this morning and early afternoon: birdies at 1, 3, 9, 10 and 11. Shame about the double at 2. He’s heading for his third reasonable major in a row - he’s making a habit of finishing tied in the thirties - but that smash and grab at Olympic, at the expense of G-Mac, remains something of a career outlier. “After the much publicised issues regarding access to live pictures, or streams, as I think the kids say these days, from Quail Hollow this week, one thing remains constant- you can always rely on the HBH,” writes Katharine Viner Simon McMahon. “Any truth in the rumour that it will become an ‘official partner’ next year? The 100th USPGA at Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, brought to you exclusively by the Guardian and Hamburger Helper. Has a certain ring to it, no?” Do we get a couple of free boxes of Helper? If so, get their people to talk to our people. Cheeseburger Macaroni flavor or no deal.
The 2011 PGA champion Keegan Bradley is going great guns, too. He’s knocking about with Big Dustin today, and the pair seem to be propelling each other to great heights. Birdies at 4, 6 and 10 for Bradley, and he’s +1.
The world number one Dustin Johnson never quite got going this week. Or indeed at any point during the major season. But he’s determined to leave some sort of calling card, lest his 2017 mainly be remembered for careering teeth-first down a flight of stairs in the 1930s moving-picture style. He’s just carded his fifth birdie in ten holes: 1, 4, 7, 8 and 10. A bogey at 3, but hey, nobody’s perfect. He’s level par for the tournament all of a sudden. There’s incentive for the players going out later, bunched between level par and -3, to shoot something low early doors and give the leading bunch something to think about.
Here we go, then ... the final round of the final major of the year! It’s delicately poised, and plenty of players will fancy their chances at Quail Hollow, Charlotte, North Carolina. Yesterday proved a tough slog: it was less Moving, more Gently Oscillating Day. But the pin positions are a little bit more accessible today, with a few risk-reward opportunities thrown in. And of course danger lurks along the Green Mile, with the flags at 17 and 18 both tucked next to water. Drama ahoy!
Glory's last preamble
OK, so the 99th PGA Championship might not have turned into a stone-cold classic yet. But it hasn’t been half bad either, with plenty that will live long in the memory. Brilliant 64s for Hideki Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari. Rod Pampling’s selfless Adam Sandler tribute act. Graham DeLaet’s birdie-eagle-eagle-birdie run. The emergence of 23-year-old local hero Grayson Murray. Jason Day’s decision to hook a big one round a tree trunk last night instead of taking his medicine and chipping out, the most preposterous way anyone will ever play themselves out of contention in a major, even if they keep staging these things until the rapture.
Then there’s been the steady brilliance of Kevin Kisner, another local boy, sort of, from Aiken, South Carolina, a two-hour drive over the border. A regular visitor to Quail Hollow, he’s threatening to win this tournament wire to wire, a little local knowledge going a long way. And what about the heart-warming story of Chris Stroud, a 35-year-old Texan who recently decided to give up pushing for his elusive maiden Tour victory, immediately won the Barracuda in Reno last week, and is now in the hunt for a title that’d catapult him into the Daly-Beem-Micheel category of shock PGA champions.
Trying to stop this relatively unheralded duo? Matsuyama, attempting to become Japan’s first major champion and only the second man from Asia to win a big one after YE Yang. The 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who is long overdue a second major. Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed and Gary Woodland, all desperate to claim their first. Maybe even Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey or hook-happy Day, if one of them posts something very low indeed. And there are others: DeLaet, Murray, Scott Brown, Francesco Molinari, Chez Reavie, Sung Kang, Ryan Fox ... let’s stop now, we’ve a long day ahead of us.
Suffice to say: no, it hasn’t turned into a stone-cold classic yet. But it hasn’t been half bad, and with the treacherous Green Mile lying in wait at the business end this evening, there’s plenty of scope for some top-drawer drama, and maybe a few more stories for the ages. It’s the final round of the 99th PGA Championship! It’s glory’s last shot! It’s on!
Here’s how they stand ...
-7: Kisner
-6: Stroud, Matsuyama
-5: Thomas, Oosthuizen
-3: Murray
-2: DeLaet, Woodland, Reed, Brown, Molinari
-1: Reavie, Kang, Fox, Fowler
E: Casey, Day
... and here’s when they’re teeing off (local, then BST):
8.05am (1.05pm): Charles Howell III
8.15am (1.15pm): Vijay Singh, Omar Uresti
8.25am (1.25pm): Dylan Frittelli, Russell Henley
8.35am (1.35pm): Adam Scott, Anirban Lahiri
8.45am (1.45pm): Daniel Summerhays, Cody Gribble
8.55am (1.55pm): Hideto Tanihara, Lee Westwood
9.05am (2.05pm): Charley Hoffman, KT Kim
9.15am (2.15pm): Tommy Fleetwood, Alex Noren
9.25am (2.25pm): Jason Dufner, Webb Simpson
9.35am (2.35pm): Shane Lowry, Bud Cauley
9.45am (2.45pm): Bill Haas, Rory McIlroy
9.55am (2.55pm): Keegan Bradley, Dustin Johnson
10.15am (3.15pm): Lucas Glover, Jason Kokrak
10.25am (3.25pm): Jamie Lovemark, Steve Stricker
10.35am (3.35pm): Kelly Kraft, Marc Leishman
10.45am (3.45pm): Charl Schwartzel, Bryson DeChambeau
10.55am (3.55pm): Jon Rahm, Jim Herman
11.05am (4.05pm): Jordan Spieth, Ian Poulter
11.15am (4.15pm): Thorbjorn Olesen, David Lingmerth
11.25am (4.25pm): Kevin Chappell, Sean O’Hair
11.35am (4.35pm): Brooks Koepka, DA Points
11.45am (4.45pm): Patrick Cantlay, Ryan Moore
12.05pm (5.05pm): Zach Johnson, Brian Harman
12.15pm (5.15pm): Jordan Smith, Matt Kuchar
12.25pm (5.25pm): Pat Perez, Richard Sterne
12.35pm (5.35pm): Byeong-Hun An, Billy Horschel
12.45pm (5.45pm): James Hahn, Tony Finau
12.55pm (5.55pm): Robert Streb, Chris Wood
1.05pm (6.05pm): Satoshi Kodaira, Henrik Stenson
1.15pm (6.15pm): Jason Day, JB Holmes
1.25pm (6.25pm): Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey
1.45pm (6.45pm): Sung Kang, Ryan Fox
1.55pm (6.55pm): Francesco Molinari, Chez Reavie
2.05pm (7.05pm): Gary Woodland, Scott Brown
2.15pm (7.15pm): Graham DeLaet, Patrick Reed
2.25pm (7.25pm): Louis Oosthuizen, Grayson Murray
2.35pm (7.35pm): Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas
2.45pm (7.45pm): Kevin Kisner, Chris Stroud
Help! We’ve got PGA fever! Won’t someone please call Dr Golf?!
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