Read Ewan Murray’s report from Bellerive:
That was a pretty sensational tournament. A near miss for Tiger Woods as he chases that elusive 15th major; if only he hadn’t started bogey-double bogey on Thursday. A return to form for Adam Scott. A staunch defence by Justin Thomas. Another high finish for the Open champ Francesco Molinari. And most of all, another sensational display of big driving, stunningly accurate iron play, delicate chipping, and ice-cool putting from the outrageously talented Brooks Koepka: the current US Open and PGA champion! Here’s how they finished at Bellerive. Thanks for reading, and wherever you are, sweet dreams and nighty night! (See you here for the Ryder Cup, yes?)
-16: Koepka
-14: Woods
-13: Scott
-11: Cink, Rahm
-10: Pieters, Molinari, Thomas, Woodland
-9: Cabrera Ballo, Hatton
-8: Spieth, Reavie, Stone, Berger, Kisner, Lowry, Fowler
-7: Z Johnson, Na, Kokrak, Rose, Wallace, Simpson, Suri, Day
Brooks Koepka, winner of the 2018 PGA Championship, lifts the Wanamaker Trophy! “To go from not even being sure if I could play again, to playing this way, is absolutely mind-boggling. My focus is so important. You’ve got to be patient, and that’s so important in the majors. When Tiger started making his run, it got loud. But it was fun, and enjoyable to play in front of fans who love golf. You guys are awesome!” There’s more love from the gallery now, which is special to hear. He deserves every drop.
But there’s no question: Brooks Koepka is the deserved winner of this tournament. He shot a record-equalling 63 in the second round; responded positively whenever he hit a rocky patch, never panicking, always keeping calm; and if you see a better carpe-diem moment in golf than that long iron arrowed at the flag on 16, you’ll be a very lucky person indeed. Koepka has become only the fifth player, behind Sarazen, Hogan, Nicklaus and Woods, to win the US Open and PGA in the same season. That’s some company to be keeping. Three majors in his last seven attempts! And he’s only 28!
Koepka - now a three-time major champion - is all smiles. As you’d imagine. Though he’s not going that wild. I guess this astonishing player is getting used to it. And there’s no ignoring that there’s a slightly subdued atmosphere: the popular winner would have been Tiger, and the crowd simply hollered themselves out supporting him. That’s the nature of sport, I guess: it’s a branch of entertainment at the end of the day, and the collective heart wants the collective heart wants. Like Koepka will care!
BROOKS KOEPKA IS THE WINNER OF THE 100th PGA CHAMPIONSHIP! Koepka lags his putt to 12 inches, and tidies up. Par, and he finishes with a 66. The champion! Scott can’t get up and down to salvage his par. It’s a bogey, a 67, and he finishes in third place at -13. He congratulates Koepka warmly, before exiting to let the champ enjoy his moment!
Scott’s drive sailed all the way over the trees on the left. He’s able to send a wedge up and over them, but can’t reach the green. Koepka then sends his second 20 feet past the flag. This has been over ever since he sent that heatseeking iron at 16 straight at the flag ... but it really is done now. There’s a warm reception for Koepka as he reaches the green, but it’s nothing like the outpouring of emotion that met Tiger. Poor Koepka. I wonder whether he’ll share a glass and a few stories tonight with fourth-placed Stewart Cink, who will have experienced a similar thing upon winning the 2009 Open at Tom Watson’s expense.
Up on the green, Jon Rahm finishes up with a birdie that’ll give him a share of fourth place with Stewart Cink. A 66 today, and he’s 11. But it’s another disappointment for eternal major-championship nearly man Rickie Fowler: a one-over 71 drops him to -8 and out of the top ten.
-16: Koepka (17)
-14: Woods (F), Scott (17)
-11: Cink (F), Rahm (F)
-10: Pieters (F), Molinari (F), Thomas (F), Woodland (F)
Updated
Koepka could be forgiven for playing it safe ... but he unsheathes the driver on 18 and smashes it miles down the track. There’s no point messing with a winning formula. Scott responds by sending a huge hook into the trees on the left. Unless something very strange happens, Brooks Koepka is going to become only the fifth player to win the US Open and PGA in the same year, following Gene Sarazen (1922), Ben Hogan (1948), Jack Nicklaus (1982) and a certain Tiger Woods (2000).
Back on 17, Koepka bumps his chip up to five feet ... then pulls his birdie putt to the left of the cup! Just a par ... though it’s not costly, because Scott had wedged to four feet, but didn’t give his short birdie effort enough on the left, and it dies off before it reaches the cup. What an awful miss, and he looks utterly crestfallen as he departs the scene.
-16: Koepka (17)
-14: Woods (F), Scott (17)
Tiger makes his way to the scorer’s hut. He lets out a huge sigh. He knows he’s come up just short. And his head drops as he disappears through the door. A companion piece to his fist-pumping celebration on the green when that final birdie putt dropped.
Tiger rolls in the left-to-right slider for his birdie! The gallery around 18 blasts off for space. He was out in 32 ... and back in 32. That’s a 64, a final round at the PGA that’s only been matched or bettered on four occasions in the tournament’s history! He ends the week at -14, currently in a tie for second with Adam Scott. They’re cheering ... and they’re still cheering ... and they’re not going to stop for a while. It’s love.
-16: Koepka (16)
-14: Woods (F), Scott (16)
Tiger’s wedge into 18 is fairly average, though he’ll have a look at a final birdie from 25 feet. As he walks up to the green, he receives the mother and father of all receptions, the sort usually reserved for winners. Which of course Tiger is, in the bigger picture ... but just not this week. Back on 17, Scott is forced to lay up, while Koepka lashes a long iron down the swale to the back of the green.
Tiger larrups a drive straight down the middle of 18. How he’ll be wishing he could have done that on 17. Back on 17, Koepka whistles his tee shot down the track, but Scott sends another out to the left. It looks very much now like Koepka will be winning his second major of the year, and his third in seven goes!
Tiger makes his ten-foot par saver! His dream of a 15th major is now dangling by a thread ... a very long shot ... but you never know in golf, and a birdie down the last might just resonate back down 17. Anyway, he stays at -13. The St Louis galleries are a little subdued now. Which is unfair on the sensational Koepka, but this is the way it is.
Adam Scott very nearly holes his chip from the cabbage at the back of 16. But that’s just a par. And Brooks Koepka makes his birdie, fair reward for a 250-yard iron pearled straight at the flag! Meanwhile up on 18, Stewart Cink rolls in a monster to sign for a 67 that gives the 2009 Open champion an -11 finish. And there’s silence around the 17th green, as Tiger’s splash from the bunker goes ten feet past the flag.
-16: Koepka (16)
-14: Scott (16)
-13: Woods (16)
Updated
Justin Thomas ends a fine defence of his title with a 68. A not-particularly-warm handshake with Shane Lowry, who kept him waiting at 16. You can understand his irritation. On the other hand, it’s not Lowry’s fault that Thomas missed those tiddlers that derailed him during the middle of his round. JT finishes at -10. Lowry ends up with a 70, at -8.
Tiger’s ball is in the hazard. But it’s not wet. It’s plugged in the bank instead. So he’s got the opportunity to blast it out with a sand wedge. Which he does, back onto the centre of the fairway. A chance to salvage the situation, then, but he’s left with a long iron in. Meanwhile back on 16, Koepka lashes his tee shot straight at the flag to six feet. That’s an astonishing carpe-diem moment, which deserves a bigger ovation than it gets. But the galleries are all-in for Tiger. Scott then pushes his tee shot into the thick stuff to the right of the green ... while Tiger’s third at 17 finds a greenside bunker. Those three shots by the three leaders might just have sealed the deal for Brooks Koepka. Though of course in golf, there’s many a slip ...
Tiger gives everything to his drive on the par-five 17th ... and watches in horror as a big slice heads off towards the creek on the right. His ball might have gone right over it, it might not. Either way, this isn’t good, and he swipes the air violently with his driver in agitation. Is this the end of a famous run at the title? Meanwhile up on 15, Scott makes a two-putt par ... but Koepka curls in a left-to-right birdie putt to reclaim sole ownership of the lead! He clenches his fist in determination; that could be the moment that won this title!
-15: Koepka (15)
-14: Scott (15)
-13: Woods (16)
Adam Scott sends his drive at 15 into the trees down the left. Brooks Koepka finds the fairway. Advantage to the US Open champ. But the real action right now is happening on the 16th green. There’s more reverential silence as Tiger surveys his birdie putt ... but he leaves it short, the ball dying to the left. He remains at -13. Meanwhile Scott plays a miracle draw from the trees down the left of 15, his ball settling 15 feet from the hole. Then Koepka wedges to five feet. Is now a good time to remind everyone that Tiger started his round on Thursday bogey-double bogey? If he could turn back the clock, huh.
-14: Koepka (14), Scott (14)
-13: Woods (16)
Updated
Tiger at the long par-three 16th. This could be one of the shots of his life. You can hear a pin drop ... until he makes contact with the ball, and then the crowd goes ballistic as he whips it pin high to 20 feet. He’ll have a chance for another birdie! Tiger’s never won a major coming from behind after 54 holes. If he bucks that trend today, he’ll draw level with Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus as a five-time winner of this grand old championship.
Workaday pars for Brooks Koepka and Adam Scott on 14. Tiger taps in for his birdie, and the noise will be heard in Illinois!
-14: Koepka (14), Scott (14)
-13: Woods (15)
From the centre of 15, Tiger launches a high iron from 164 yards that lands two feet from the flag! It’s one of the shots of the championship so far! And the cheers are ringing around Bellerive as the action is replayed on the big screens! That’s a certain birdie that’ll take him back to -13. And the noise it’s produced will have sent a chill down the spines of Brooks Koepka and Adam Scott. On the CBS commentary: “They say shooting stars never stop, until they reach the top. He’s back to being a supernova.” I never had Nick Faldo pegged as a Frankie Goes To Hollywood fan.
Francesco Molinari has a 15-footer on the last green to move to -11 and take over as clubhouse leader. But he doesn’t make it, and the Open champion is currently sharing it with Thomas Pieters instead. Gary Woodland isn’t quite out of this yet: he makes another birdie at 14 to move to -10.
Tiger chips to eight feet, then watches in horror as his putt horseshoes out. Bogey, and suddenly there’s a little separation at the top, because Scott nails his birdie putt ... while Koepka pulls his nervy one left!
-14: Koepka (13), Scott (13)
-12: Woods (14)
-10: Pieters (F), Molinari (17), Thomas (16), Woodland (14), Rahm (13)
Some seething on the par-three 16th. Shane Lowry sends his ball near the bleachers, then argues for some time with two officials over a possible drop. It takes so long that an irritated Thomas plays out of turn, the heat in his head leading to a hot chip. His ball flies past the cup and towards the fringe. He’s really not happy to have been kept waiting. He can’t sink the par saver, and drops back to -10. He’s fuming. The crowd celebrate when Lowry then fluffs his chip from the place his ball ended up anyway. Lowry bogeys and slips back to -9. JT shakes his head in dismay, mixed with a fair bit of fume.
Tiger pushes his iron off the tee at 14; he’s in the rough to the right. He can only whip a 9-iron towards the green. He’ll have wedge in hand, hoping to get up and down across the dancefloor from 30 yards or so. Meanwhile back on the par-three 13th, Scott sends his tee shot over the flag to eight feet ... then Koepka sends his to six feet!
Updated
From the centre of the 12th fairway, Koepka and Scott pepper the flag. But it’s only Scott who can make his birdie putt, the leader pulling his gingerly to the left. This is too close to call now!
-14: Koepka (12)
-13: Woods (13), Scott (12)
-11: Thomas (15)
-10: Pieters (F), Molinari (16), Lowry (15), Rahm (12)
A disappointed Thomas Pieters tries to end on a high, but his 40-foot birdie effort at 18 stops just short. It’s an excellent final-day 66, and he’s the new clubhouse leader at -10, but he’ll have trouble sleeping tonight after that capitulation on 17. Meanwhile at 13, Tiger rolls his birdie putt straight into the cup, raising his putter in celebration just before it drops. Shades of Jack Nicklaus on 17 at the 1986 Masters, in more ways than one!
-14: Koepka (11)
-13: Woods (13)
-12: Scott (11)
-11: Thomas (15)
-10: Pieters (F), Molinari (16), Lowry (15), Rahm (12)
Tiger goes for broke at the par-three 13th. He lashes his iron straight at the flag back right, worrying not about the thick trouble a couple of yards to the right of the green. It’s a pearler, leaving an downhill ten-footer. Koepka and Scott split the fairway at 12. And wild scenes on 15, as Thomas leaves his second bunker shot 30 feet short ... then rolls in a putt that was pretty much a must-make in the circumstances. He’s salvaged his par, and pumps the air with a lusty COME ON! This is really heating up now!
Updated
JT is threatening to unravel. He drives into the fairway bunker down the left of 15, and can only advance his ball into a greenside bunker on the same side of the hole. He’ll have a long third from there. Meanwhile Ian Poulter nearly drains a 40-footer across 18 for birdie. But it stops just short, and that’s a 70. He’s -5 for the week. And on 12, Gary Woodland nearly destroys the hole by coming close to a slam-dunk eagle with his second. His ball spins back ten feet, but once they’ve repaired the cup, he makes his birdie. And Tiger, who had gone close, makes no mistake with his birdie chance despite the long wait. That took nearly ten minutes; a display of some mental strength there. Woodland rises to -9; Woods to -12, a couple off Koepka’s lead!
It’s a sickening end to Thomas Pieters’ bid for the title. Having found the hazard with his drive, he finds it again as he tries to repair the damage with a heroic hoick greenwards. He ends up with a double-bogey seven, and he must feel like crying right now. Most folk have been making birdie on this hole: he’s effectively given three shots up to the field, right at the death. He slips to -10, when he’d have been dreaming of posting a clubhouse total to be reckoned with. Meanwhile JT yips another short one! This time he horseshoes one from a couple of feet at 14. He slips to -11. He can’t keep doing this. Pars for Koepka and Scott at 11 meanwhile.
-14: Koepka (11)
-12: Scott (11)
-11: Thomas (14), Woods (11)
-10: Pieters (17), Molinari (15), Lowry (14), Cink (13), Rahm (11)
Updated
Stewart Cink never let it lie. After dropping shots at 4 and 5, that might have been it. But he’s birdied 7 and 12, and he’s going to make another at 13, sending his tee shot at the par-three 13th arrowing straight at the flag. It stops 18 inches short. The 2009 Open champion will move to -10! Meanwhile on 12, Tiger finds another fairway, then wedges to six feet! He’ll have a chance to grab a share of second.
Koepka’s second into 10 takes a hot bounce off the green and dribbles into a bunker at the back. Scott, coming in from the other side, finds the heart of the green. He’ll have an uphill look at birdie from 20 feet. Tiger meanwhile overcooks a wedge into 11. He’s got a 30-foot birdie putt. And the thing travels all the way ... nearly, stopping half a dimple’s width short of dropping! There’s probably one microscopic blade of grass acting as bouncer. But there’s no repeat of the tease on the 16th at Augusta in 2005: the ball looks like it’s threatening to drop after hovering awhile, but it stubbornly stays put! There’s palpable disappointment in the crowd, who desperately want Tiger to land number 15 this week. But par it is. Still, it’s swings and roundabouts, because on 10, Koepka is one turn away from splashing into the cup for birdie. That one stays out too. Scott rakes in another long birdie effort, though, and this is really hotting up now!
-14: Koepka (10)
-12: Pieters (16), Thomas (13), Scott (10)
-11: Woods (11)
-10: Molinari (14), Lowry (13), Rahm (10)
Up on 13, Thomas strokes his tee shot to 14 feet. He pulls his birdie putt to the left, and sends it four feet past, too. But he gets the one coming back for par, no repeat of the fiasco on 9. Meanwhile his playing partner Shane Lowry, having birdied 12, rattles in a 55-foot monster for a second birdie on the bounce! He’s -10 all of a sudden, as is the Open champ Francesco Molinari, who birdies 14! Yes, the 2018 PGA Championship has started now.
Everyone’s reached the turn on Sunday, then. The 2018 PGA Championship starts now! The final pairing are on the 10th tee. Koepka sends his drive into the rough down the right; Scott on the left. Meanwhile on 17, Pieters slices his drive into the hazard down the right. After all that good work!
Thomas Pieters makes no mistake with his birdie putt on 16. Cool as you like, and richly deserved reward for that wonderful long iron. Tiger takes his two putts on 10 for par.
-14: Koepka (9)
-12: Pieters (16), Thomas (12)
-11: Woods (10), Scott (9)
-10: Rahm (9)
Scott nearly curls in a big right-to-left breaker from 20 feet for birdie on 9. He turns in 34. Koepka meanwhile guides in his birdie putt, and he’s hitting the turn in 33. That’s three birdies in a row, and he’s in command of this tournament again. Some response to that two-hole wobble. JT has to salvage his par on 12, then ... and he does so, sending a low stinger from the trees just over the back of the green, then getting up and down very calmly. Meanwhile it’s a final-round 69 for erstwhile leader Dustin Johnson, who ends the week at -6.
Tiger finally finds a fairway, crashing his ball down the middle of 10. He’s left with an 8-iron in. He finds the middle of the green, but he’s not particularly close. Back on 9, Koepka wedges from the fairway bunker to ten feet, a glorious shot to set up another birdie chance. And there’ll be a look at birdie for Pieters on the par-three 16th, as he clips a stunning 4-iron pin high to 12 feet.
This is sensational, isn’t it. Yes. Yes it is. “Sergio’s just chipped in at 15! But then Cink follows him in!! Monty’s looking good too. And what a putt from Woods on 16. Oh, sorry, I’m watching the 2006 Ryder Cup on Sky. Thank goodness for the HBH.” Simon McMahon, president of the Eleven Sports fan club, there.
-13: Koepka (8)
-12: Thomas (11)
-11: Pieters (15), Woods (9), Scott (8)
-10: Rahm (9)
-9: Cabrera Bello (F), Hatton (F), Molinari (13), Day (9)
Adam Scott birdied 8 as well. Meanwhile Thomas Pieters rolls in another medium-range putt for birdie at 15. Brooks Koepka sends his drive at 9 into the bunker to the left of the fairway. And JT flays another wild drive into Puntersville, this time down the right of 12. He’s in the thicket, up where Jordan Spieth’s title bid effectively ended yesterday afternoon. Pro tip: don’t take a hybrid and try to lash through a small gap, in case your ball cannons off a tree and out of bounds.
Tiger’s outrageous draw from the side of the cart path down the left of 9 landed 12 feet from the flag. In goes the putt, and that’s a really daft birdie. Not quite as silly as the one made by JT on 11: from the top of Injured Punter Mountain, he bumps a chip down the hill, over a path, back up a little ridge, and onto the green. And of course he makes the 10-footer he’d left himself! But as the pair move towards Brooks Koepka, the leader takes another step forward with birdie at 8. He was just off the green in two, in fact, and nearly chipped in for eagle. But he’s more than happy with what he’s got.
Updated
Brooks Koepka is certainly in the box seat; he’s on the par-five 8th in two. Nevertheless, good luck calling this championship with any certainty.
-12: Koepka (7)
-11: Thomas (10)
-10: Pieters (14), Woods (8), Rahm (8), Scott (7)
-9: Cabrera Bello (F), Hatton (F), Molinari (11), Day (9)
Tiger takes an iron for safety on 9, and hooks it down a cart path on the left! I’m not sure he’s found a single fairway yet, and he’s just about to reach the turn. But it doesn’t seem to matter. He whips an iron into the heart of the green, an outrageous result from where he was. JT bounces back from his three-putt hell to birdie 10 ... then balloons his drive at 11 towards a mound of punters sitting on the left. His ball clanks off some poor guy’s head. The chap’s getting an ice-pack pressed to his noggin; not sure where the reigning champ’s ball is. Meanwhile Shane Lowry pulls a miserable short par putt left of the cup at 10; he’s back to -8. The nerves kicking in there. But it’s two birdies in a row for Jon Rahm, the latest at 8, and he joins the folk at -10.
Birdies for Koepka and Scott at 7. Scott’s was dependant on a 25-foot putt from the fringe; Koepka’s was textbook, a perfect drive, wedge to eight feet, and a calm roll into the hole. In the meantime, Molinari can’t make his birdie putt on 11, while Pieters sends his second at 14 to 12 feet, and in goes the birdie putt: he’s in second place all of a sudden!
-12: Koepka (7)
-10: Pieters (14), Thomas (9), Woods (8), Scott (7)
-9: Cabrera Bello (F), Hatton (F), Molinari (11), Lowry (9), Day (8), Rahm (7)
A first birdie of the day for Jon Rahm at 7. He’s back to -9. There are a lot of players at -9. This is one crowded leader board. So Tiger gives it a little shoogle by splashing from the sand at 8 to 18 inches. He’ll move back to -10. Up on 18 meanwhile, Jordan Spieth can’t make the birdie that’d give him a share of the clubhouse lead. His 20-foot putt shaves the hole, and it’s a final-day 66. He ends the week at -8. This is what he can do when he’s not in form!
Tiger’s blagged a good break down the left of 8. A lie on ground trampled down by the galleries, and a route through the trees to the green. He lashes a fairway wood into the big bunker front right of the dancefloor. That’s a decent result from where he was. Meanwhile up on 11, Molinari nearly spins his second back into the cup, though the ball keeps going another 12 feet. He’ll have a look at birdie, though.
JT three-putts from eight feet on 9! A fine birdie chance turns into a bogey. His knees buckle in despair. And seconds later, Koepka rolls in his par putt to stop the bleeding! He’s now got the lead on his own. Meanwhile at 8, Tiger hits his drive straight left, into leafy bother. The pressures of major-championship Sunday can make even the greatest do some very odd things.
-11: Koepka (6)
-10: Thomas (9)
-9: Cabrera Bello (F), Hatton (F), Pieters (12), Molinari (10), Lowry (9), Day (7), Woods (7), Scott (6)
-8: Spieth (17), Reavie (16), Rose (14), Simpson (11), Cink (7), Rahm (6), Fowler (6)
Another birdie for Molinari! He smacks his second at the long par-four 10th to 12 feet, and carefully rolls the putt into the centre of the cup. Never missing, and Italy’s major champ is -9. Back on 9, Shane Lowry lifts his second to kick-in distance: he’ll be moving to -9 very soon. Par for Tiger on 7, a fine up and down from cabbage at the back of the green: he’s -9. And on 6, Koepka’s tee shot lands on the fringe at the back ... and he sends his putt eight feet past the hole. The next putt may well define his round.
Updated
Francesco Molinari isn’t out of this yet! He’s just hit the turn in 34 strokes, having parred the opening eight holes and making birdie at 9. The Open champion is -8, just three off the lead. As is Players champ Webb Simpson: the 2012 US Open winner has just birdied 11. And Jordan Spieth fancies a piece of the action, should the leaders fall back later this afternoon: having gone out in 32, he’s just birdied 17 to join the group at -8. He’ll need to birdie the last to join Rafa and Tyrrell (that sounds like some sort of acid-jazz collective) in the clubhouse lead.
Is the leader wobbling? Koepka drives into the rough down the right of 5, and is unable to power his second onto the green. He can’t get any spin from the thick rough, and his third bumbles 12 feet past the hole. He sends his putt on the right line - it’s sliding right-to-left - but he doesn’t hit it. Suddenly it’s a tie at the top! Koepka was five ahead at one point yesterday afternoon. Meanwhile pars for Cabrera Bello and Hatton. That’s a pair of 64s! They’re the new clubhouse leaders at -9! This leader board is quite superb.
-11: Thomas (8), Koepka (5)
-9: Cabrera Bello (F), Hatton (F), Pieters (11), Day (7), Woods (6), Scott (5)
Thomas Pieters already had birdies at 1 and 8. He’s got a third now, at 11, chipping in from the fringe. He’s -9. Bogey for Rickie Fowler on 5, a three-putt after leaving his first long effort seriously short. And it’s bogey for Tiger at 6, as he overhits his sand shot. Happily not enough to find the water, but he is putting from the fringe on the other side of the green, and he can’t hole the 15-foot saver. He’s back to -9.
Birdies at 13 and 14 for Chez Reavie: the 36-year-old from Wichita can hear you through the whine is -8. Zach Johnson is the latest player back in with a 66: he ends the week at -7 and is the early clubhouse leader. Meanwhile Tiger’s tee shot at the par-three 6th finds the bunker back left; he’ll have a testing splash out ... hopefully not literally, as there’s water on the other side of the green if he connects thin.
Koepka lags a lengthy birdie putt on 4 to four feet. He’s surely saved his par, but he pulls the short one and that’s shocked the gallery. It’s the first mistake he’s made with the flat stick for a good while. Bounce-back birdie for Rose at 13: he’s -8. Meanwhile birdie for Tyrrell Hatton at 17, after stiffing his wedge. Like his partner Rafa Cabrera Bello, he’s suddenly just three off the lead! Just look at this!
-12: Koepka (4)
-11: Thomas (7)
-10: Woods (5)
-9: Cabrera Bello (17), Hatton (17), Day (6), Fowler (4), Scott (4)
Updated
JT rattles in a 18-footer on 7, his third birdie of the day. At -11 he’s just two off the lead of Koepka, who has found the heart of 4, but isn’t within realistic birdie range. Justin Rose is a dimple away from making a 30-foot par saver at 12, but he’s back to -7. Day tidies up for his bounce-back birdie at 6: he’s -9. And Tiger wasn’t in the bunker by the side of 5, but in thick rough instead. No matter: he bumps a glorious wedge to a couple of feet, and will escape with a par.
Tiger’s in the woods, but has found a clearing within. He’s going for the green, over the one tree in his way with a 9-iron from 170 yards. He gives it a fierce lash, but can only find a bunker guarding the front of the green. He’s not miles from the flag, though there’s not loads of green to work with. Jason Day creams his tee shot at the par-three 6th straight at the flag, to four feet. And on 17, Rafa Cabrera Bello wedges his third to four feet: a birdie will take him in to a share of fourth at -9.
Stewart Cink continues to go backwards: a missed tiddler for par at 5, from no more than 12 inches, and he’s -7. His playing partner Jason Day bogeys too; he’s -8. And bogey for Jon Rahm at 4; he’s especially frustrated after missing three good birdie chances at the first three holes.
Justin Thomas pushes his tee shot at the par-three 6th. He flirts with the water, but his ball gets over the drink and settles in a swale. With delicate hands, JT gently lobs his second to a couple of feet, and makes off with his par. He stays at -10. Justin Rose is putting a late, Hail Mary bid together: birdies at 7, 8 and 11 have catapulted him to -8. Bogey for Cink at 4; the 2009 Open champ is back where he started at -8. And on 5, Tiger flays a wild drive into the gallery down the right. He spins through 180 degrees on his heels, as though he can’t bear to look at what’s happened, beside himself with irritation.
Tiger can only lay up from the sand to the side of the long par-four 4th. But he screeches his third six feet behind the flag, and will have a great chance of scrambling his par. He teases it straight into the centre of the cup, and the gallery celebrate as though he’d just made eagle. That’s a momentum-saver. But bogey for Woodland, who drifts to -8. Back on 3, Koepka pulls his tee shot a tad; he’s found the heart of the green, but he’s a fair bit from the cup.
Koepka leaves himself a dribbly downhill left-to-right par putt on 2. It’s never missing. He’s such a laid-back character. And he remains three in the lead at -13. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy finishes his week with a 70. He’s -2 overall, and it’s four years now without a major.
Justin Thomas makes his second birdie of the day, following up the one at the 1st with another at 5. The reigning champion doesn’t fancy giving the Wanamaker Trophy back - maybe he’s misplaced it like Walter Hagen did back in the day (5.10pm) - and he’s joined Tiger in second spot at -10.
It never quite happened for Tommy Fleetwood this week. The US Open runner-up shot 68 today, and ends the week at -4. See also: Russell Knox. A 68 today; -4. Meanwhile Charl Schwartzel’s going the wrong way: bogeys at 1 and 4, and he slips back to -6. Bogey for Shane Lowry at 5 after a short putt dribbles past; he’s -8. And it’s a par-par-par start for both Jon Rahm and Rickie Fowler.
Updated
Koepka dices with the water down the left of 2. I think his ball’s snagged in the rough on the bank. He can breathe out again if so. Up on 4, Tiger sprays his drive into sand down the right of the track. Elsewhere, the erstwhile Masters and Open champ Zach Johnson is going very well. He was right in the mix after the first round, having shot 66, but slipped into neutral gear thereafter with rounds of 70 and 71. But he’s four under for his round today, and -7 overall. And Kevin Na continues to improve incrementally: 70, 69, 68 and he’s four under through 16 today. A couple of pars and that’ll be a 66. He’s -7 too.
Tiger converts his birdie at 3: he’s -10. He really should have birdied all three of those opening holes, but a slightly conservative prod at his putt on the 1st allowed a pitchmark to kink his ball off to the left. Adam Scott bundles his chip at 1 to six feet, but that’s a nervy one for par to start. And he pushes it wide right. That flat stick’s going to let him down, isn’t it. Brooks Koepka meanwhile makes his birdie putt ... to somewhat muted cheers it has to be said. St Louis has waited for years to see Tiger in action; he’s their man.
-13: Koepka (1)
-10: Woods (3)
-9: Thomas (4), Lowry (4), Cink (3), Day (3), Woodland (3), Rahm (2), Fowler (2), Scott (1)
Adam Scott’s opening tee shot was wild, sent under a tree down the left. He’s not able to punch-run his ball under overhanging branches and up to the green. Brooks Koepka however screeches a wedge to eight feet. He’ll have a look at birdie. Stewart Cink rolls in a 40-footer across 3 to reach -9. And on the par-three 3rd, Tiger will have a real look at birdie from kick-in distance, after pitching his tee shot 18 inches from the hole. It’s just as well that wasn’t a hole in one, because the noise would have shattered windows in Alaska.
Thanks to John! And that’s me back in time to see Brooks Koepka cream his opening drive down the centre of the fairway at 1 ... and Tiger to tidy up for his birdie at 2! Another par for Gary Woodland; he’s one of the few members of the leading bunch not to have carded an early birdie. Also note big moves up the rankings for Rafa Cabrera Bello and Tyrrell Hatton, who are five under for their rounds today so far.
-12: Koepka
-10: Scott
-9: Thomas (3), Lowry (3), Cink (3), Day (3), Woodland (2), Woods (2), Rahm (1), Fowler (1)
-8: Cabrera Bello (14), Hatton (14), Pieters (8)
Oh Tiger! He had an awkward lie at the edge of the water - he was very close to being in the drink - and had to play up a small slope. It is an absolute beauty, and lands safely on the dancefloor and moonwalks back towards the hole. The short game is in full swing. Behind Tiger, Rickie Fowler at the opening hole plays a decent approach shot to give himself a birdie chance that he makes a mess of.
And, with that, I pass you back to Scott Murray.
Jason Day is on -9 after birdie on the second. Tiger’s iron shot from the tee is clattered out to the left and he is on what may be a difficult lie on the brow of a hill. He’s been wild off the tee so far, which is not a good sign. His downfall on the course, rather than off it, came when he was playing opening shots that gave him far too much to recover.
Tiger’s lie in the sand gives him room to get out and he pitches a belter within six feet of the hole, his ball spinning to a very sinkable position. Woodland’s shot from an easier position doesn’t get nearly as close. He can’t make birdie. Can Tiger? No! It was going dead-on, but then wobbled to the rim as it hit a pitch mark on the green. That was unlucky.
Correction corner (blame the broadcasters): Lowry did not birdie the second, and in fact is birdie-par-par on the first three, as it happens that is the same as Justin Thomas.
Updated
Tiger takes to the tee, and manages to hook his shot to the left. It bounces on inexorably to the sand, and there it nestles in the fairway bunker. The charge he wanted from the get-go is already in jeopardy. Woodland’s tee shot is meanwhile a punched, low iron shot and safe as houses. Shane Lowry has made birdie at the second and is at -10 alongside Adam Scott.
Thomas takes his second shot to the second, and kills it stone dead, and pin high, and has a far better position than Shane Lowry for birdie. Gary Woodland and Tiger Woods take to the stage, with Woodland trying to recover from losing the lead last night.
A chap dressed as Rickie Fowler has just described his hero as a “complacent player”, which suggests he might not know the meaning of the word. It might have been “real pleasant player”. Justin Thomas, who birdied the first, plays his tee shot on the second. Julian Suri fails to join the under-8 crew by missing a birdie putt on the second.
Justin Thomas has just played a pearler on his approach shot to the first, which seems to this layman like a nice and easy starter. In the same pairing, Shane Lowry sinks his birdie putt from about 20 yards to go to -9. Real delicacy and judgement of the green’s contours took him to within three shots of the lead at joint-third.
Webb Simpson is -2 for the day, and Rafa Cabrera-Bello is joining the -8 throng, having birdied the 10th, making him five under for the day. The whoops and hollers on the course signify that Tiger is imminent. He’s about 15 minutes from taking his bow. A reminder: he has never won a major when trailing on the final day, which begs the question whatever happened to Y. E. Yang, the first player to beat a Tiger that had been leading on final day in the 2009 of this tournament. Answers to john.brewin.casual@theguardian.com.
Tiger is on the range, resplendent in red, and giving it some big licks off the tee. Difficult to remember that he suffers from back problems when he swings so naturally. Koepka is making his way down to the course, looking as cool as a mint julep. Meanwhile, Justin Thomas takes his first shot off the tee, and lands it safely. Shane Lowry follows him in and uses that large frame to launch one down the middle.
Updated
Charl Schwartzel and Julian Suri are on the course now, with the South African the first of the -8 crew and Suri the last of the -7 group.
Evening/afternoon, all. As Scott says, the big stuff is about to begin and those you would expect to have a chance of victory are currently on the practice greens or getting a last-minute rubdown. The onus is on Koepka, and the party really starts when those players at -8 get going. Schwartzel, Lowry, Thomas, Day, Cink and Woods.
Tony Finau finished in the top ten at the Masters, the US Open and the Open. He won’t be completing his 2018 set, but it’s be a memorable ride anyway. Yesterday’s rollercoaster 66 featured not a single par on the front nine, and just four in total. Today’s card looks like Nick Faldo’s final round in the 1987 Open at Muirfield by comparison: a whopping eight pars! It was another up-and-down affair, but one salvaged by a closing run of birdies at 14, 15 and 18. The big man’s got a major in him; when he finally crosses the line, it’ll be done in style. He ends the week at -3.
And with that, I’m going to take a quick breather, the calm before the storm. Your good friend and mine, Mr John Brewin, will take the reins. Enjoy, and I’ll see you soon!
Another birdie for Rafa Cabrera Bello! He makes it three in a row at 9; that’s four in the last five holes. He reaches the turn in 31. He’s -7, alongside the aforementioned Thomas Pieters; Pat Perez, who birdies 3; and the reigning Players champion Webb Simpson, who has just birdied -2. So it’s probably time for our first update of the leader board:
-12: Koepka
-10: Scott
-9: Rahm, Fowler, Woodland
-8: Woods, Cink, Day, Thomas, Lowry, Schwartzel
-7: Cabrera Bello (9), Pieters (3), Perez (3), Simpson (2), Suri, Molinari, Kisner
-6: Poulter (4), Berger, Schauffele
Updated
Hideki Matsuyama is the latest player in the clubhouse with a 66. He ends the week at -4. For the record, the lowest fourth-round score at the PGA is Brad Faxon’s 63 in 1995. The lowest by a winner is Colin Montgomerie Steve Elkington’s 64 in 1995. Two other players have shot 64 in the final round: Jack Nicklaus in 1964 and Simon Dyson in 2007. There have been plenty of final-round 65s, but only two by eventual winners: Colin Montgomerie in 1995 David Graham in 1979 and Jeff Sluman in 1988. Why am I telling you this? You know exactly why I’m telling you this.
Rafa Cabrera Bello has performed in fits and bursts this week. When he’s got going, he’s really got going. He’s just birdied three of his last four holes: 5, 7 and 8. He’s -6 overall. A shot ahead of him on the leader board: Thomas Pieters, the big Belgian opening with a birdie. And Jordan Spieth continues to keep the crowds enthralled: he responds to that double whammy at 6 with birdie at 7. Maybe he’ll ride down the 8th fairway on a unicycle juggling fire.
A word in praise of the amazing Ben Kern. He works in golf-club management in Tuscon, Arizona, and is one of the 20 PGA of America members who qualified for Bellerive by finishing high at the recent PGA Professional Championship. Unlike many of the other 19, he’s never played on a professional tour. But he was the only one to make the cut this week. On Friday afternoon, he required a birdie on the last to give himself a chance of staying for the weekend; he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, fizzing an approach to ten feet then rattling the putt into the cup with great confidence. Mooching around beneath a wide-brimmed sun hat, like the love child of John Daly and Greg Norman, he calmly swung his way to a stunning 67 yesterday. And he’s going well today, too: he’s reached the turn in 34, and is -4 overall. Here’s hoping for a strong back nine, a high finish, and a happy ending to one of the feelgood stories of the week. God speed, sir.
Entertainment’s Jordan Spieth opened with a pair of birdies. Now he’s handed the shots back to the field with a flourish, finding the drink at the par-three 6th and running up a triple. He’s back where he started, at -4. Meanwhile Chris Stroud becomes the second player today to post 66. The 36-year-old Texan was vying for the lead this time last year, before things fell apart for him in the final round with a 76. He finished tied for ninth at Quail Hollow; he’ll end this week at +1, well off the pace but with some form to take away.
Ian Poulter was well placed after a fine opening round of 67. But he’s been stuck in neutral since. A level-par 70 for his second round, followed by a decent-but-nothing-more 68 yesterday. It means he’s just off the pace, starting the day at -5. But John Mahaffey and all that ... and he’s opened as he surely must, with birdie at 1. He joins the group at -6.
JJ Spaun’s rampage - and Cameron Smith’s 66 - prove that there’s a score out there if somebody wants it. Bellerive is long, but the fairways are wide, and thanks to all the rain earlier in the week, the greens are receptive. The putting surfaces were always going to be slower than normal on the PGA Tour anyway, so the players are able to be really aggressive in their pursuit of birdies. On the flip side of all that, they’ve been leaving a lot of putts short as well, unable to totally recalibrate. And the rough, lushed up by the rain, has been satisfyingly punitive. Anyway, that’s a long-winded way of saying we might have another score-fest on our hands today. The birdies were flying in everywhere at one point during the third round, and conditions for the final day are pretty similar.
JJ Spaun dunked his tee shot at the par-three 6th into the water. Double bogey! But one of the most refreshing variety. The shackles off, he’s gone into devil-may-care mode, and embarked on a birdie frenzy! He’s picked up shots at 7, 8, 9, 11 and now 13. He’s making his major-championship debut this week, having finished high at the RSM Classic, the AT&T Byron Nelson, and last week’s Barracuda Championship. The in-form 27-year-old from LA is -4 overall.
Jordan Spieth could continue his fast start and pile on the birdies. But if history is any guide, his efforts would be in vain. He started the day eight shots off Brooks Koepka’s lead, and nobody has won the PGA from further back than seven shots after 54 holes. John Mahaffey wrote that particular page in the reference book: he benefited from Tom Watson’s back-nine collapse at Oakmont in 1978. Watson held a five-stroke lead going into the final round, but a double bogey at 10 precipitated the disaster. And the PGA was the only major the great man never won.
Updated
Fast isn’t normally a word you’d associate with Kevin Na. But watch him fly out of the blocks today! Birdies at 2, 3 and 5, and he’s already -6. He’s joined there by Martin Kaymer: the 2010 king of Whistling Straits has just birdied 7. Meanwhile the hot Australian prospect Cameron Smith - who already has top-five finishes at the US Open and the Masters under his belt, plus a win apiece on the PGA and European Tours - is back in the clubhouse with a fine 66. The 23-year-old from Brisbane could sell that for a few quid right now. He finishes the week at -1.
Jordan Spieth has picked up shots at the first two holes: he’s -6 as well. He’ll really be kicking himself for not taking his medicine from the trees at 12 yesterday: an overly adventurous attempt to whistle a hybrid through a small gap between two trunks led to his ball caroming out of bounds, and a triple bogey that put paid to any realistic hope of completing the career slam this year. Thing is, though, this is exactly why he’s so entertaining to watch. His wholesome, all-American, apple-pie image tends to obscure his swashbuckling tendencies: the wild driving, astonishing acts of escapology, short-game genius, birdie blitzes and occasional tendency to come apart in spectacular fashion all register very high on the Seve-o-meter™. Would you have him any other way? Bet you he does something jaw-dropping at the Ryder Cup.
Martin Kaymer won this tournament at Whistling Straits in 2010: Bubba in the play-off, big Dustin grounding his club in a designated bunker, all that. Four years later, he romped to victory in the US Open. Actually, romp is the wrong word: he was so dominant that week, he could have strolled around Pinehurst twirling a cane. But weirdly, the former world number one hasn’t done much in the majors barring those two outliers. The 33-year-old from Dusseldorf is going well today, though. Early birdies at 1 and 2, and he’s -5 overall.
But enough of 1947, 1962, 1979 and all that. What’s happening out there today? Well, only one of the early starters is three shots to the good for his round so far today. Hideki Matsuyama came very close at Quail Hollow last year, but didn’t bother turning up for the final round. This time, the Japanese star was on the fringes of the action going into the third round, having posted 68-69, but a 73 yesterday afternoon did for his slim chances. He’s been erratic today: an eagle at the driveable par-four 11th, a double bogey at the long par-four 4th. But on balance, more up than down: there have also been birdies at 5, 6, 8 and 12. Take one bogey at 9, and he’s -3 for both round and championship. He’s got to win a major one day, he surely must. Just not this year.
If Adam Scott prevails today, he’ll become the sixth Australian to win the PGA. Golf down under is well represented in this championship, thanks to Jim Ferrier (1947), David Graham (1979), Wayne Grady (1990), Colin Montgomerie Steve Elkington (1995) and Jason Day (2015). Jon Rahm would be the first Spaniard on the Wanamaker Trophy: Sergio came second as a 19-year-old in 1999, of course, while Seve only got as close as fifth in 1984. Ollie got a tie for fourth in 2000.
Offaly’s Shane Lowry would be the third Irish player to win the championship, after Dubliner Padraig Harrington in 2008 and County Down’s Rory McIlroy in 2014. Charl Schwartzel would, as a South African, be following in the footsteps of Gary Player (1962 and 1972) and Nick Price (1992 and 1994). Francesco Molinari, who won Italy’s first major title three weeks ago, would of course be breaking new ground in this respect.
Today’s winner will lift the Wanamaker Trophy, which was gifted to the PGA of America by New York department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker. The cup was thought to have been “lost irrevocably” in 1928, when Walter Hagen prepared to hand it over to new champ Leo Diegel, only to discover he didn’t have a clue where he’d stashed it. Hagen said he entrusted it to a cab driver, asking him to ship it to his hotel, but it never arrived. A couple of years later, it was found by a cleaner who was sorting out the cellar of a Detroit club manufacturer who made clubs bearing Hagen’s name. It had been there, safe and sound, in an unmarked case. As well as the walkabout Wanamaker pot, the 2018 champion will be granted a lifetime exemption into the competition, and a guaranteed five-year ticket to the other three majors. No need to talk about the purse, let’s not be vulgar.
Here we go, then; hold on to your Titleist-sponsored peaked caps! The fourth round of the 100th PGA Championship will be a sun-dappled one. The big hot yellow guy in the sky is expected to smile over Bellerive all morning and afternoon. And early evening if needs be: if this goes to a play-off, there will be a three-hole aggregate-score competition on holes 16, 17 and 18. If that doesn’t settle it, we’re going sudden death across 10, 16, 17 and 18, looping around forevermore if no winner is determined.
Glory’s last preamble
The 100th PGA Championship has been magnificent so far, a Bellerive birdie blitz. The course’s defences are down after a good watering early in the week and then again on Friday night, and that’s been reflected by some sensational scoring. There have been record-equalling 63s for Brooks Koepka and Charl Schwartzel; 64s for Gary Woodland, Shane Lowry and Kevin Kisner; a couple of 65s for Adam Scott; 65s for Rickie Fowler, Daniel Berger and the defending champion Jason Thomas; and a leader board that looks like this ...
-12: Koepka
-10: Scott
-9: Rahm, Fowler, Woodland
-8: Woods, Cink, Day, Thomas, Lowry, Schwartzel
-7: Suri, Molinari, Kisner
-6: Berger, Schauffele, Simpson, Perez, Pieters, Stone
-5: Pepperell, Poulter, Wallace, Grillo, Rose, Cantlay, D Johnson
Koepka threatened to run away with this tournament yesterday evening. At one point he was five shots in the lead, looking in total control of his ball. But this is a major championship, and nerves kick in, even for an ice-cool double US Open winner. He stumbled a little over the back nine, and now that lead is just two. The final round is poised very nicely indeed.
Adam Scott is best placed to pounce. He’s rediscovered the form that won him a Masters in 2013 and should have won him an Open the year before; the putting’s still a little shaky, but better than it’s been for a while. Gary Woodland recovered from a horrendous meltdown in the sand at 10 yesterday to salvage his round and stay in the hunt; maybe that steely display shows he’s ready to make good on a talent that’s largely gone unfulfilled. Jon Rahm and Rickie Fowler have played their way into contention without too much drama, and a steady game - and steady heartbeat - might just be what’s required today.
The defending champion Justin Thomas is within striking distance, as is former champ Jason Day. Francesco Molinari is looking to become only the sixth player, after Walter Hagen, Nick Price, Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy, to win the Open and PGA in the same season. The 2009 Open champ Stewart Cink is improving round by round: if he betters yesterday’s 66 the veteran Alabaman could surprise everyone. Shane Lowry and Charl Schwartzel are hovering, while the upcoming New Yorker Julian Suri, on his PGA debut, has made himself right at home on this stage.
And then there’s Tiger. If he wins his 15th major title tonight, Bellerive Country Club will sail off towards Illinois around 1am BST. Air traffic control has been alerted.
We may have not mentioned your favourite; we may not even have mentioned the eventual winner. But cut us some slack, please, it’s been a long week. Whatever happens, we’re going to enjoy ourselves this afternoon. It’s the 100th PGA Championship! It’s the last major of 2018! Golf fever is very much on. Nurse, the screens! Quick as you can, page Dr Golf!
Here are the tee times for the final round. All players from the US unless stated; all times are of the local variety. (We’re six hours ahead in the UK; you do the math.)
0729 Chris Stroud, Brian Gay
0738 Cameron Smith (Aus), Scott Brown
0747 Charles Howell III, Vijay Singh (Fij)
0756 Jim Furyk, Brian Harman
0805 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Marc Leishman (Aus)
0814 Nick Watney, Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)
0823 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Kevin Chappell
0832 Russell Henley, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
0841 Ollie Schniederjans, Ross Fisher (Eng)
0850 Tony Finau, Byeong-Hun An (Kor)
0859 Andrew Putnam, Adrian Otaegui (Spa)
0908 Sungjae Imn (Kor), J.J. Spaun
0917 Jimmy Walker, Ted Potter, Jr.
0926 Austin Cook, Brandt Snedeker
0935 Brice Garnett, Russell Knox (Sco)
0953 Yuta Ikeda (Jpn), Keegan Bradley
1002 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Satoshi Kodaira (Jpn)
1011 Mike Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), Rory McIlroy (NIrl)
1020 Martin Kaymer (Ger), Dylan Frittelli (Rsa)
1029 Zach Johnson, Ben Kern
1038 Kevin Na, Ryan Moore
1047 Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
1056 Seung-su Han, Andrew Landry
1105 Jordan Spieth, Jason Kokrak
1115 Billy Horschel, Chez Reavie
1125 Ryan Fox (Nzl), Branden Grace (Rsa)
1135 Dustin Johnson, Chris Kirk
1145 Justin Rose (Eng), Patrick Cantlay
1155 Matt Wallace (Eng), Emiliano Grillo (Arg)
1205 Eddie Pepperell (Eng), Ian Poulter (Eng)
1215 Thomas Pieters (Bel), Brandon Stone (Rsa)
1225 Webb Simpson, Pat Perez
1245 Daniel Berger, Xander Schauffele
1255 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Kevin Kisner
1305 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Julian Suri
1315 Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry (Irl)
1325 Stewart Cink, Jason Day (Aus)
1335 Gary Woodland, Tiger Woods
1345 Jon Rahm (Spa), Rickie Fowler
1355 Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott (Aus)
Updated
