Congratulations to the sensational Collin Morikawa, the 2020 PGA Champion. A most deserved victor after a final-day 64! That drive on 16 to set up eagle will be replayed for years to come. As may the trophy lift, but everyone loves a blooper, and Morikawa enjoyed it himself. He’s a special talent. Commiserations meanwhile to the 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson, who still somehow has only one major to his name, and Paul Casey, who must wonder if it’s simply never meant to be, as England’s 101-year wait for a second PGA champion goes on. Thanks for reading this blog over the last four days. You’ll come back for Winged Foot next month, yes?
-13: Morikawa
-11: Casey, D Johnson
-10: Wolff, Day, DeChambeau, Finau, Scheffler
-9: Rose
-8: Schauffele, Dahmen, Champ
-7: Reed, Rahm, Kim, Berger
-6: Todd, Li
-5: English, Kisner, Griffin
-4: An, Steele, Noren, Scott, Perez, Poulter, Matsuyama
-3: Redman, Varner III, Fleetwood, Koepka
-2: Hovland, Oosthuizen, McIlroy, Frittelli
-1: Woods, Henley, Cauley, Lashley, Thomas, Simpson
Morikawa speaks! “It’s amazing ... it’s been a life goal as a little kid ... this is what I’ve always wanted to do ... to finally close it off here in San Francisco, pretty much my second home, is pretty special ... [his drive at 16] just fit my eye, and now we’re here!” He has another go of lifting the trophy, making a success of it this time. Dropping the lid earlier was the only thing he did wrong all day.
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The Wanamaker Trophy is handed over to the extraordinary Collin Morikawa! “Ooh wow! That’s big!” He lifts it above his head ... and the lid comes crashing off. Smiles all round. Arsenal’s FA Cup winning captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang really has started something here. The lid’s popped back on and he has a more successful go. To be fair, it is an unnecessarily large pot.
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Morikawa becomes the first player to win the PGA on debut since Keegan Bradley pipped Jason Dufner in 2011. It’s his first major victory in only his second appearance, and his third win on Tour already, not half bad when you consider he’s only made 28 starts as a pro. The last three players to win the PGA aged 23? Rory McIlroy (2012), Tiger Woods (1999) and Jack Nicklaus (1963). Not bad company to be keeping, huh?
The hug Morikawa received was from his girlfriend Katherine Zhu, a professional golfer herself. The pair have a chat with some loved ones through the old phone, but only after Casey comes over and, with a warm smile, offers his congratulations.
Morikawa checks his card while watching the final pairing come up 18 on a big screen. Then he makes his way greenside to witness the action in the flesh. Scheffler nearly drains a long putt for birdie, but it shaves the hole. A 68 and he finishes in a tie for fourth at -10. That’s because DJ makes his 20-foot birdie putt to grab a share of second with Casey. A 68 and he’s -11. Still just one major for the big man.
-13: Morikawa
-11: Casey, D Johnson
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The deal’s sealed because Dustin Johnson could only par 17. Back on the tee, he lashes his drive down the track, having been unable yet again to convert a 54-hole lead at a major. Meanwhile Morikawa goes to shake a few hands and hug a few friends, before remembering the social distancing codes and backing off! He gets a hug anyway. What a performance by this amazing young Californian! The small crowd that’s gathered do their best to make as much noise as possible. It’s more than enough. It’s a unique celebration; it’s a strange celebration; it’s still a great celebration. The party is on!
COLLIN MORIKAWA IS THE 2020 PGA CHAMPION! There’s to be no final-round 63 for Morikawa, like he’ll care. His birdie putt shaves the left lip, and he taps in for par. A huge smile breaks across his young features. He’s going to lift the Wanamaker Trophy! He’s the 2020 PGA Champion!
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There’s an impromptu welcoming committee gathered by the 18th to applaud Morikawa up the fairway. He deserves this so much. Before he can take his turn, Champ pars to sign for a 70. He’s -8. Funny, he looked as cool as Morikawa, if not even cooler, on the front nine, before that horror double at the 9th.
Paul Casey speaks. “I played wonderful golf, simple as that ... Collin thoroughly deserves this, what a shot he hit on 16, just awesome golf! ... so I’m very happy, it’s been a great week ... a joy to play with Koepka who is a gentleman ... there’s nothing you can do except tip your cap to [Morikawa’s shot on 16] ... kudos to whoever set up this course for creating those kind of holes, risk and reward are what this game hinges on ... Collin took that challenge on, pulled it off, and that’s what great champions do.” What a gracious interview. His heart must be bleeding right now. What magnificent golf he played this week. Winged Foot maybe.
Morikawa finishes with a flourish, sending his iron from 160 yards over the flag at 18 and spinning it back to eight feet or so. With a penalty area to the left of the green, he was probably trying to be a little bit more conservative than that, but when it’s your day, the little misses turn into sensational approaches. He’s really stepped on the gas coming home. And if he makes this putt, he’ll have shot 63 in the final round of a major. Not half bad, huh?
Morikawa splits the 18th fairway. This is such a textbook example of seizing the day. Back on 16, meanwhile, DJ sends his drive into a penalty area ... then after dropping, chips in from 50 yards for birdie. He’s back to -10, and this story, while almost told, isn’t quite finished yet.
The defending champion Brooks Koepka bogeys the last, a fitting end to a miserable day. His 74 means he ends the week on -3. All the real damage was done on the front nine, as he went out in 39. So Peter Thomson remains the last men’s player to win the same major three times in a row (the Open, 1954 to 1956). It was still a hell of a defence, though. What a player; it just wasn’t his day.
Morikawa’s 30-foot birdie effort across 17 stops one dimple short. That would have sealed it for sure. Par. So close now. Up on the 18th green, meanwhile, Casey misses his downhill right-to-left curler on what the pros call the amateur side; always breaking off to the left, never with a chance of dropping. Just a par, and he signs for a superb 66. He’s the new clubhouse leader, and his only hope is that Morikawa has a hitherto undiscovered and undisturbed Inner Van de Velde.
-13: Morikawa (17)
-11: Casey (F)
Casey’s second into 18 sticks stubbornly on the edge of the ridge running through the green. He’ll have an extremely delicate and bendy putt for a birdie that would put a little pressure on the leader. You’d think he has to make it if he’s to have any chance.
Morikawa finds the 17th green, the first job done. Up on 18, two putts for Finau, who signs for a 66 and joins the clubhouse leaders at -10. Two putts for DeChambeau as well, who has lived up to the hype this week. It’s a 66 for him too, and a -10 finish. It’s his best showing in a major so far.
DeChambeau and Finau are both on 18 in regulation, but miles from the hole. Back on the tee, Casey lashes down the middle of the fairway. All these chaps can do is roll the dice, and hope Morikawa is overwhelmed by the enormity of what he’s about to do.
Morikawa makes no mistake with the eagle putt. Calm as you like. Especially when you consider how, at the Charles Schwab Challenge just after the restart, he missed a putt from six feet at the 72nd hole then a three footer in the playoff to gift the title to Daniel Berger. No mental scar tissue there! The eagle gives him a two-shot cushion, and suddenly the Wanamaker Trophy is within this brilliant 23-year-old Californian’s grasp!
-13: Morikawa (16)
-11: Casey (17)
-10: Wolff (F), Day (F), Finau (17), DeChambeau (17)
Casey, standing on the 17th tee, looked around to see that stunner. “Was that Morikawa?” he asked his caddy, in the manner of someone who knew the answer exactly, before breaking into a wry smile. A bitter moment for a player who might never get close than this again. But he’s not giving up. He whips his tee shot at 17 to ten feet ... but can’t knock the birdie putt in. That’s a match-play style sickener for Casey, and he’s not smiling any more.
Collin Morikawa has surely just hit the winning shot of the 2020 PGA. He sends a huge gentle fade around the corner of the short par-four 16th, bouncing his ball onto the front of the green and sending it serenely gliding towards the hole. It stops seven feet short, from where he’ll putt for eagle! Should he make it, he’ll be so close to a maiden major. What a stunning tee shot!
Paul Casey takes a share of the lead! From the Jason Day Bunker on 16, he splashes out to five feet, and knocks in the birdie putt. Nerveless! He moves alongside Morikawa at the top. Meanwhile Finau tidies up for his par on 17.
-11: Casey (16), Morikawa (15)
-10: Wolff (F), Day (F), Finau (17), DeChambeau (17)
DJ can’t rake in his long par saver on 14, and he’s back to -9 with work to do now. Morikawa makes a two-putt par on 15. DeChambeau’s birdie putt stays high on the left: “It didn’t break a bit,” is his stunned reaction. And up on 18, Day makes his par putt and signs for a blemish-free 66. Will it be enough? He’ll be keeping his fingers crossed for a play-off. He ties the clubhouse lead at -10 with Wolff.
What Finau would give for a chip-in on 17! He nearly gets one, too, but his lob clanks the flagstick and stays out. He’ll have a three-footer for par. Up on 18, Day finds a fairway bunker from the tee, then a greenside one with his second. He flops out to six feet, and must make that par putt to tie the clubhouse lead with Wolff.
Morikawa is on the 15th in regulation. Casey in the bunker on 16 that Day found himself in earlier. DeChambeau is on the 17th, 15 feet away having caressed his tee shot over the flag. His partner Finau misses the par-three to the left. And on 14, DJ is in a spot of trouble, having sent his second into the bunker on the left, and thinned his escape 30 feet past the hole.
-11: Morikawa (14)
-10: Wolff (F), Day (17), Finau (16), DeChambeau (16), Casey (15), D Johnson (13)
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DeChambeau opts to putt rather than chip from the taller grass by the side of 16. His effort breaks right, and it’s just a birdie. He’s -10. He was so unlucky with his tee shot, which would have surely set up a big eagle chance had it not kicked right. Compare and contrast to Morikawa’s bounce left on 14 that eventually led to his chip-in birdie. The slim margins of golf.
Day’s tee shot at 17 is pin high, 15 feet from the flag. He looks to have made the birdie putt, but it kinks out on the left. A huge groan. He remains at -10. Scheffler slips back to -9, though, punishment for a three-putt on 13.
Could this be the moment that wins the 2020 PGA?! Collin Morikawa misclubbed coming into the 14th, and he’s down in a swale to the front-right of the green. No matter! He flops a chip up onto the green, the ball checking and then rolling out, straight into the cup! That is quite exquisite, and he takes sole leadership of this tournament! Turns out he took advantage of that lucky bounce off the tee after all! Can anybody respond?
-11: Morikawa (14)
-10: Wolff (F), Day (16). Finau (15), Casey (15), Scheffler (12)
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DeChambeau’s tee shot at the par-four 16th is dead on line. But it takes a little bounce to the right, and stops in the second cut between green and bunker. So unlucky, because that could have gone very close. He’ll still have a dinky little chip for eagle. Meanwhile up on the 15th green, Casey leaves a half-decent 20-foot downhill curler high on the right. Just a par.
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“Aw man, you love this tee shot, don’t you?! Jesus Christ!” Collin Morikawa there, as his tee shot at 14 sails off towards the rough on the right. But his ball takes a huge 90-degree kick left out of the fringe, and he’s on the fairway. A friendly bounce. Can he take advantage? Nope. He underclubs and comes up short. So careless. Meanwhile there’s more patter on 15, as Paul Casey and Brooks Koepka enjoy an uproarious back-and-forth as they walk up the fairway, humour breaking the tension. Koepka, his race long run, might be doing his partner a favour there.
Day leaves his putt high on the right, and it’s just a par. He remains at -10, and he walks off with the slightly dejected air of a man who thinks he might have made a fatal error.
Day pulls his tee shot at 16 into a bunker well short of the green. He’ll have some work now to make birdie on a hole that tantalisingly dangles an eagle opportunity in front of everyone’s nose. He’s really not happy with his second, taking too much sand and leaving his long bunker shot 15 feet short. It’s not a must-make birdie putt ... but you feel it’s a must-make birdie putt. Yes, it’s exactly like that.
Casey screeches his second at 14 from 157 yards to three feet! One of the shots of the day, and he deservedly grabs a shot of the lead at -10 by tapping the birdie putt home. This has been non-stop since the get-go. It’s been a hell of a ride already. What next?!
Finau walks in a putt from the fringe at the front of 14! He joins the group at -10! Birdie for his partner DeChambeau, too, and he punches the air as he finally makes it back to -9. Day meanwhile pars 15. This is joyously absurd. You know what, this could be decided by whoever eagles 16. At least one of them is going to eagle 16, right?
-10: Wolff (F), Day (15), Finau (14), Morikawa (12), Scheffler (11), D Johnson (11)
-9: DeChambeau (14), Casey (13)
Xander Schauffele looks disappointed with his final-day 67. A fair chance, though, that at -8 he’ll register yet another top-ten finish at a major. If he does, it’ll be six out of 12. His time will come.
Matthew Wolff, playing in his very first major, is the new clubhouse leader. He screeches his approach at 18 to five feet, and knocks in the birdie putt. It’s a strong finish ... a 65 ... and it gives him co-ownership of the tournament lead as well. That’s a gauntlet thrown down, though you suspect he might be a shot or two shy. Still, you never know. If he does make it, he’ll join Willie Park Sr., Francis Ouimet, Ben Curtis and Keegan Bradley in winning a major at his very first attempt!
-10: Wolff (F), Day (14), Morikawa (12), Scheffler (11), D Johnson (11)
-9: Finau (13), Casey (13)
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A loose tee shot at 12 costs Champ a shot. He slips back to -8 again. Grim-faced, he’s the bizarro Day right now. Meanwhile bogey for Casey at 13, the result of underclubbing his approach then compounding the error with a heavy-handed chip. Casey, chasing his first major at 43, looks more pensive than annoyed. He slips to -9.
Day’s putter is warming up nicely. A 15-foot birdie effort across 14 threatens to lip out, but eventually drops after performing the wall of death. He joins the ever-expanding leading group, and celebrates accordingly. Of all the players out there, he’s the one enjoying himself the most obviously right now.
-10: Day (14), Casey (12), Morikawa (12), D Johnson (11), Scheffler (11)
Finau couldn’t make his two-putt par at 12, incidentally. It led to his first bogey of the day. But he bounces back brilliantly, curling in a right-to-left 30-footer on 13 to return to -9 immediately! Another vital one, right there, as time, holes and space for error start running out. The tension is palpable, events coming to the boil. Imagine the temperature if Harding Park was packed with punters!
Casey’s second into 12 flies into the rough at the back. He chips back a little clumsily, six feet past. A tricky one coming back. But he nails it. That was so vital. He stays in a tie for the lead at -10.
A slip-up by DJ on 10, as he sends his second into the bunker on the left. He’s shortsided, and can’t get close with his third. A huge birdie chance slips by, and that’s effectively a shot handed over to the field. His partner Scheffler makes no such mistake, and his birdie brings him into a four-way tie for the lead. Meanwhile a nice up-and-down from sand at 13 for Day. He remains at -9, where he’s joined by Wolff, who leaves his eagle effort short on 16 but makes no mistake with the resulting four-footer.
-10: Casey (11), Morikawa (11), D Johnson (10), Scheffler (10)
-9: Wolff (16), Day (13), Champ (11)
Kim Si-woo, the youngest-ever winner of the unofficial fifth major, the Players Championship, is coming up quietly on the rail. Birdies at 2, 7, 10 and now 15, and he’s -8. A strong finish - like Ryan Palmer’s earlier eagle, birdie, birdie, for example - and he could post something to give the rest of the field pause. See also Matthew Wolff, who has just battered his tee shot at the short par-four 16th to the fringe. Outside chance of eagle.
Jason Day did extremely well to save his par at 12, getting up and down from a greenside bunker. Tony Finau, coming behind, looks a good bet to save himself too, having driven into the trees but manufacturing a low fizzer and finding the dancefloor. Two long putts, but that’s a quite exceptional outcome from where he was. Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa joins the leaders with one of those must-make-really birdies at 10. His partner Cameron Champ regroups after that double with a bounceback birdie. He’s back to -9.
-10: Casey (11), Morikawa (10), D Johnson (9)
-9: Day (12), Finau (11), Champ (10), Scheffler (9)
Paul Casey grabs himself a share of the lead! He birdies the 10th after a crisp approach to ten feet, and his first major championship in his 64th attempt is a very real possibility now. He looks steady and calm, something he’s not always been at the business end of the majors. God speed. Are we about to see the first English winner of the PGA since Jim Barnes in 1919?! Meanwhile pars for Scheffler and Dustin at 9, and the final group hits the turn, ringing the bell for the start of the 2020 PGA Championship: it’s the last nine holes on major Sunday!
-10: Casey (10), D Johnson (9)
-9: Day (12), Finau (11), Morikawa (9), Scheffler (9)
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Champ’s chip is tame and he leaves himself ten feet short. He can’t save himself with the flat stick this time, the ball shoved right, and it’s a painful double. He’s back where he started: -8.
-10: D Johnson (8)
-9: Day (11), Finau (10), Casey (9), Morikawa (9), Scheffler (8)
-8: Li (15), Wolff (14), Rose (11), DeChambeau (10), Champ (9)
Finau doesn’t make the mistake of his partner DeChambeau, and makes a lovely boring birdie at 10. No fuss, no sweat, he’s going along very nicely at -9. Meanwhile on 14, Wolff, having missed two hige birdie chances on 12 and 13, overhits a short birdie putt. It horseshoes out, and he slips back to -8. What a sickening sequence for the young man.
Back-to-back birdies for Jason Day, as he suddenly emerges into the light! He drains a long putt across 11, and suddenly he’s only a shot off at -9! Meanwhile more careless work around the green by DeChambeau, and it’s only a par on the par-five 10th.
Champ is snookered behind a tree and is forced to chip out sideways. That’s terrible luck, though it was a godawful drive too. A bogey most likely now. Can he get up and down from 175? He shakes his head as he pushes his approach right, the ball taking a big kick further offline and into thick stuff. Meanwhile back on 8, a great up and down from sand for Scheffler, who is mooching along quietly after his opening birdie. He stays at -9. And his partner DJ gets up and down from thick grass at the front, and he stays at -10. Unless Champ chips in, he’ll be the sole leader soon.
So having said that, Champ sends a big slice towards the trees down the right of the extremely difficult 9th. God speed. Birdies for Jason Day on 10, and Li Haotong at 14; they’re both -8 and this is an excellent performance from Li in particular, after all he’s been through this week.
Champ trundles in his par saver! What nerves of steel! That was heading into the centre of the cup from the very second it left the face of his flat stick. He remains at -10 and right now has the determined look of the man to beat. The 25-year-old Californian already has two wins to his name in his short PGA Tour career ... and he’s been the longest hitter this week. A telling stat, because the longest hitter has won seven of the last 30 PGA Championships. What a story this would be.
Champ takes an eyeful of sand as he whacks out of the bunker at 8. It’s a decent long bunker shot, but not an exceptional one, and he’ll need to sink a 20-footer to save his par. Meanwhile up on 13, Wolff wastes another great birdie chance, knocking his approach to five feet but shoving it wide left with great uncertainty. He should be leading after back-to-back birdies; as it is, he’s still one behind Champ and Johnson at -9.
DeChambeau has left himself an 11 foot 3 inch putt from the fringe at 9. He hits it 11 feet and 2 inches. He taps in with a frown. All of a sudden, he’s taken a screeching u-turn and is heading backwards in the grand fashion. Like his partner Finau, he’s turning in 33 at -8, but you know full well who’s the happier bunny right now. DeChambeau trudges off with hands in pockets, a study in dejection.
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Tony Finau has been quiet since that birdie-birdie opening salvo. But he’ll be happy enough with the seven pars that follow. He hits the turn in 33, and at -8 is still right in the mix, without breaking too much sweat and using up all that precious emotional energy. He might need it later. What am I saying? Of course he’ll need it later. Business end of a major championship coming right up!
Champ slam-dunks his tee shot at 8 into the bunker guarding the front right of the green. One club short. That’ll be a long, long sand shot. Also in trouble, DeChambeau up on 9, who fires a long birdie putt past the hole and onto the fringe behind. He has the good grace to look embarrassed at putting off the green.
Some news of Tommy Fleetwood, and it isn’t good. His weekend struggles continue, after yesterday’s ground-out 70. Birdies at 5 and 7, but a double at 6, the result of a woefully wayward drive, and another bogey at 9 means he’s turning in 36. At -5, he’s too far back with too many players up ahead. That 64 on Friday looking like an outlier now. But here’s some better news for English fans, as Paul Casey keeps on keeping on. Par at 8 and he stays at -9.
A lovely second into Wolff to six feet. But there’s a bit too much juice behind the birdie putt, and a chance to birdie a very difficult hole is gone. He remains one off at -9.
DeChambeau does pretty well to clear his head and, from the fringe, lag a putt up to kick-in distance. He limits the damage to bogey, but drops out of the lead.
-10: Champ (6), D Johnson (6)
-9: Wolff (11), DeChambeau (8), Casey (7), Morikawa (6), Scheffler (5)
-8: Finau (8)
DeChambeau fluffs his chip from the side of 8. Deceleration to the max! The first sign of nerves shown by any of the leading contenders today. Unless you count Koepka, which I’m afraid we no longer are. He three-putts on 7, his second bogey of the day, and the three-peat dream is over. He’s -5, and even if he puts a run together, there are surely too many players ahead of him - 15 to be precise - for at least one not to head him off at the pass.
Bryson’s tee shot at 8 isn’t all that, yanked into the cabbage to the left of the green. There’s enough green for an up and down, but it’s still a job of work. Meanwhile on 6, Champ snatches a share of the lead by sending a 56-foot downhill tramliner into the cup! That putt statistically had a two percent chance of dropping. He joins DeChambeau and Johnson on -10. This is gloriously daft!
A rare old birdie for DeChambeau at 7. Having driven into the greenside bunker, he looks to have hit his sand shot a wee bit too clean. But just as it seems to be bounding through the green and off the other side, the ball puts the brakes on. Screech! In goes a 15-footer coming back, and it’s his fourth birdie of the day. DeChambeau’s best finish in a major came in his first as a professional, a tie for 15th at the 2016 US Open. He’s now joint leader of this one at -10.
Koepka is gone. He hoicks his drive at 7 into thick filth down the left of 7. He doesn’t look at the races today; shades of the way he stumbled out of the traps at Portrush last summer. Trouble for Morikawa at 6; he flays his drive between trees down the left, and can only squirt out into thick rough front-right of the green. That’ll be a testing up and down.
Schauffele shortsides himself at the 10th. He can’t get up and down from sand, and it’s just a par at a hole that’s been shedding birdies all week. He remains at -7, and the feeling of a huge missed opportunity is enhanced when his partner Matthew Wolff races in a 20-foot eagle effort to zip up to -9. That followed three birdies in a row; he’s picked up five shots in double-quick time. Good luck calling the winner of this!
Patrick Reed is having a good day. Birdies at 4, 5, 10 and now 14 bring him up to -7. Meanwhile up on the 18th, the world number one Justin Thomas signs for a level-par 70; the 2017 champ ends the week at -1.
Li Haotong has turned things round nicely. He looked a beaten docket after last night’s bad luck was compounded by bogey at 2 today. But he’s birdied 5, 7 and now 10, and he’s in the group at -7. Marvellous to see; he was so unfortunate to lose a ball up a tree yesterday evening.
It’s just not happening for the reigning champ Brooks Koepka. A straight birdie putt on 6 is left meekly short. A par, but he’s stalled at -6, currently four off the lead and three behind the big pack in second. Too many players in his way? Seems daft to say, but the big man is running out of time.
Bounceback birdie for Dustin on the par-five 4th! It’s a hole he’d have been expecting to birdie, but not like this, curling a tricky 12-footer from the fringe. But that steadies the ship after his dismal three-putt on 4, and he hits the lead again!
-10: D Johnson (4)
-9: DeChambeau (6), Casey (6), Morikawa (4), Champ (4), Scheffler (4)
-8: Finau (6)
-7: Li (10), Schauffele (9), Wolff (9), Berger (7), Day (6), Rose (6)
Thanks to Tom. Nothing much has changed since I took that quick break, right? Ah. Right, let’s see where we are ... bloody hell!
-9: DeChambeau (5), Casey (5), Morikawa (4), Champ (4), Scheffler (4), D Johnson (3)
-8: Finau (5)
-7: Schauffele (9), Wolff (9), Berger (7), Day (6), Rose (6)
There are now 16 players within three shots of the lead, although it will probably be 43 by the time I finish this sentence (Casey has just joined the leaders at -9).
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Champ gets out of the bunker nicely and birdies the fourth to take his place in a four-way tie for the lead at -9. And Morikawa joins him! He’s now at -9! I don’t think we’re going to get a runaway winner today...
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Scheffler and Johnson don’t get too close to the hole with their tee shots on the par-three third, but neither of them are in trouble. DJ’s first putt is well short of the hole though, and he’ll be left with a tricky third shot, which he ... misses! He’s back at -9. Scheffler is much closer after his second and is left in tap-in territory. It’s now DJ, Scheffler and DeChambeau tied for the lead at nine under.
Elsewhere, Casey is now -8 after a birdie on the fourth, he’s started his day very well indeed.
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DJ chips to within six feet of the flag on the second - it’s a tricky putt with a slight slope down to his left but he handles it well for par. Scheffler also takes a par on the same hole. Elsewhere, Morikawa’s first birdie of the day on the third means he is now -8.
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Let’s see how DJ goes as he takes his second shot from the bunker on the second - it’s a good lie though and he’s out easily enough. DeChambeau’s promising early charge continues - he is inches short of an eagle on the fourth but taps in for a birdie and he’s now nine under and just a shot off the lead. Fleetwood’s birdie on the fifth takes him to -7.
Dustin Johnson’s tee shot finds a bunker on the left on the second but Scheffler’s drive is straight and true. Champ’s birdie putt trickles just wide on the second.
DJ cleans up for his birdie, while his partner Scottie Scheffler, making his PGA debut this week, matches the score. This leaderboard is going to change by the minute this afternoon, so don’t sue us bear with us. Here’s how they stand:
-10: D Johnson (1)
-9: Scheffler (1)
-8: Finau (3), DeChambeau (3), Champ (1)
-7: Schauffele (6), Day (3), Berger (4), Casey (2), Morikawa (1)
And with that, I’ll hand you over to Tom Lutz. See you again soon!
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DJ is out and about. He crashes his drive down the middle, and chips calmly from 50 yards to six feet. Koepka meanwhile can’t make his 15-foot par putt at 2, and the reigning champ goes backwards. He’s -6, and passes Xander Schauffele, who heads the other way upon registering back-to-back birdies at 5 and 6. He’s -7.
DeChambeau lags up from 40 feet at 3. Par. Finau’s effort, from half the distance, needs just the one more turn to drop for the perfect start. But he’ll be happy with par too. Both remain at -8. But there’s bother for Koepka at 2, as he hits overhanging branches down the left and comes up short. Left in thick cabbage, he can’t flop close. Trouble here. Meanwhile back on 1, Morikawa splashes out from the sand too energetically and his ball trundles way past the flag. But he rattles in a 25-footer to scramble his par, a huge save that keeps him at -7.
CBS segue to a commercial break with the bongtastic strains of Estimated Prophet by the Grateful Dead. Sing along, Bryson; with feeling, Brooks. “California! I’ll be knocking on the golden door / Like an angel standing in a shaft of light / Rising up to paradise, I know I’m gonna shine.” DeChambeau and Finau both find the heart of the green at the par-three 3rd; Collin Morikawa sends his approach at 1 into the bunker on the right, where he’ll be shortsided.
A huge smile across Finau’s face, as he rolls a 20-foot birdie putt straight into the cup on 2. A fast start for a player who has to make the major breakthrough sometime soon, he surely has to. DeChambeau follows him in, and this pair are inspiring each other to great things already!
-9: D Johnson
-8: Finau (2), DeChambeau (2), Champ, Scheffler
-7: Day (2), Casey (1), Koepka (1), Morikawa
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DeChambeau has come flying out of the traps. He crashes a 344-yard drive down the middle of 2, then eases a glorious approach to three feet. That is quite magnificent. Back on 1, pars for Koepka and Paul Casey, the latter doing very well to make his four after copping an unlucky lie in the rough off the tee. They remain at -7.
Good old CBS. As well as having a lovely logo, they flash up some very interesting infographics. Should Brooks Koepka win today, he’ll become the fastest man to reach five majors after winning the first one. He’ll have done it within 1,148 days; Tiger took 1,225, while Jack Nicklaus needed 1.394, the slowcoach. Arnold Palmer needed 1,463 days, while Ben Hogan took 1,687. Nick Faldo’s next on the list with 1,827. So there you have it, in living color. Perhaps the big eye in the sky is looking down on him, too, because while he flays his opening drive into thick stuff down the left, it sits up. He’s able to find the green with his second, and while he can’t generate the spin to go close, he’ll have a look at birdie from 20 feet or so.
Back to 1, where Finau has cleverly left himself a good yardage for his wedge. He knocks it dead. He’ll tap in to move to -7. DeChambeau meanwhile faces a more awkward 50-yard chip, but he scoops it to four feet. Delightful, and in goes the putt. He’s started with birdie too! A three-putt bogey for Varner III at 8, though, and he drops back to -5.
-9: D Johnson
-8: Champ, Scheffler
-7: Day (1), Finau (1), DeChambeau (1), Casey, Koepka, Morikawa
-6: Berger (2), Fleetwood (2), Rose (1)
Up on 18, Rory whisks his second to eight feet, but leaves the putt on the high side. A great chance for a valedictory birdie gone, he cocks his head back in mild despair. It’s not been his week. Not awful, not great. That final hole was his tournament in microcosm, basically. A 68, and he ends the week at -2. Much to think about, though all is far from lost.
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Up on the green, Jason Day, having stuck his second to eight feet, walks his birdie putt in. Calm and confident, he immediately rises to -7. His partner Justin Rose has to make do with par, but that’s better than yesterday, when he left this hole having made a bogey and railing at his caddy for some minor club-selecting misdemeanour.
Here comes Bryson! A no-nonsense start as he absolutely pearls his first drive down the right-hand side of the fairway. Just the 320 yards of carry. He’s going round with Tony Finau, who isn’t shy of knocking the cover off the ball himself, but opts to send a controlled fairway wood down the middle instead. This pairing promises plenty of crash-bang fun ... and no little finesse around the green.
Daniel Berger drains a 30-footer on the 1st to save his par. He remains at -6. In contention and in form, that’s a huge moment if he ends up making it today. Meanwhile another birdie for Adam Scott, this time at 10, and he rises to -5.
Varner III is one turn of the ball away from guiding in a left-to-right curler on 7. That’d have been his fourth birdie in six holes, and he reacts with understandable frustration. He remains at -6. Meanwhile some late, if futile, resistance from Rory McIlroy, who drives the green at 16 and knocks in a 25-footer for eagle. That follows birdie at 15 and, er, bogeys at 13 and 14, but let’s not spoil the narrative. He’s -2 for both round and championship.
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Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed the absence of 36-hole leader Li Haotong from that leaderboard. Sadly it’s all gone wrong for the young Chinese player since unluckily losing his ball up a tree at 13 yesterday evening. He ended the third round with a 73, and now he’s bogeyed 2, unable to get up and down from greenside rough. Stranger things have happened, but his race looks run, his tank empty, and those wizened old pros who suggested he shouldn’t have spent six hours on the practice ground after his 65 on Friday may have had a point.
How Harold Varner III must wish he could play last year’s final round at Bethpage Black again. Out in the final pairing - albeit seven shots adrift of runaway leader Brooks Koepka - he had an absolute nightmare. He started well enough with birdie at 1, but things quickly turned sour: double bogey at 3, double bogey at 4, bogey at 5. By the end of the day he’d shot an 11-over 81 to finish in a tie for 36th. Well, at least this PGA Sunday is treating the 29-year-old from Ohio a little better. Birdies at 2, 4 and now 6 have whisked him up the leaderboard to -6. What better excuse to remind ourselves of how things stand at the very top?
-9: D Johnson
-8: Scheffler, Champ
-7: Morikawa, Casey, Koepka
-6: Varner III (6), DeChambeau, Finau, Rose, Berger, Day, Fleetwood
-5: Reed (6), Wiesberger (4), Wolff (1), Schauffele (1), Dahmen, Kim
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An underwhelming week finishes in appropriate fashion for Phil Mickelson. A double-bogey six at the last after a characteristically wild drive, and he signs for a 73. He ends up at +4. In an ideal world, he’ll win the US Open at Winged Foot next month, completing his career slam and breaking the longstanding record of Julius Boros, 1968’s 48-year-old PGA champion, as oldest major winner. But the form guide isn’t clear. Tied second at the WGC St Jude last week; currently tied 71st this week. Golfing gods, do your thing! (No, not that usual thing. Something nice.)
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A fast start for Hideki Matsuyama, a player more than capable of going on a birdie tear-up. Birdie at 1, and he’s -5. The 28-year-old Japanese star possibly should have won at Quail Hollow three years ago, but collapsed on the back nine. Redemption for that near miss is probably beyond him today ... but then again, he was only five back at the start of play, and as well as John Mahaffey’s aforementioned seven-shot comeback in 1978, four players have made it from six adrift: Bob Rosburg (1959), Lanny Wadkins (1977), Payne Stewart (1989) and Steve Elkington (1995). So you never know. You sort of know. But you never know.
It was a decent PGA Championship debut for Scotland’s great new hope Robert MacIntyre. He ended the week at +3, which in and of itself isn’t too much to write back to Oban about. But the 24-year-old, who finished tied for sixth in his very first major at Portrush last summer, shot two sub-70 rounds, a 67 on Friday and a 69 today. Very promising. Fingers crossed that Scotland has unearthed a gem here. It’s been a while since Monty retired, never mind the great Alexander Walter Barr Lyle.
Two 64s, two 66s and Tiger’s 67 already ... sure, the wind might pick up and the greens may harden again. But the pin placements will remain constant, and they’re much more accessible than they were yesterday. And yesterday’s late starters still managed three 65s, a 66 and a couple of 67s. No predictions, no tempting fate, but make of that what you will.
A chipper Tiger speaks to CBS. “I felt I putted better today ... the golf course is playing long ... my body held up good this week, all things considered, as chilly as it is ... I stayed pretty loose ... it’d be nice when it’s warmer, but I kept my layers up and I’m looking forward to a week off. I’ll see ya in the future!”
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An’s putt brushes the right-hand edge of the cup. It won’t drop, but that’s still a par, and it’s still a best-of-week equalling 64. Plus a hole-in-one at 11! Not a bad day’s work all round for the 28-year-old South Korean, who ends the week at a healthy -4, and is the new clubhouse leader.
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The wind is picking up, which suggests conditions later will get harder, pretty much the pattern of the first three days. The early starters have taken their opportunity to shoot low, though, and none more than An Byeong-hun, who having birdied 16, now comes up the last hoping for a birdie that’d give him a major-championship 63. He’s on in regulation, and with a very decent chance from ten feet as well. The cherry on top of a day that’s already provided him with a hole-in-one?
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Tiger, who hasn’t played too much golf of late, tires a wee bit coming down the last. He loses his drive off to the right, and can’t power onto the green from the rough. His third is a weak chip that leaves a 25-footer for a valedictory par. He can’t make it. It’s a bogey, but it’s still an excellent final-day 67. He finishes the week at -1.
Victor Hovland makes it back to the clubhouse with a 66. The 22-year-old from Oslo is an early clubhouse leader, and can be proud of his first professional start at a major. He’s already got two low-amateur prizes on his CV, at last year’s Masters and US Open, plus one PGA Tour title under his belt. Sky pundit Paul McGinley thinks he might need to work a bit on his chipping off bare lies, but other than that, the young Norwegian appears to be the complete package. Watch this space. A month’s time at Winged Foot for the US Open? He did finish tied for 12th as low amateur last year, after all!
Tiger is certainly in the mood for a strong finish. Out in 33, he’s since birdied 14 and now the par-three 17th, after clipping a tee shot to 12 feet, then rolling smoothly home. He’s -2 and putting much better than he did yesterday, though he’s not looking particularly happy. That’s presumably a legacy of his antics on the short par-four 16th, at which he flubbed a chip into a bunker, ruining his chance for birdie.
The 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott was on the verge of seriously challenging on a couple of occasions this week, only to lose momentum each time. Starting out today seven shots back at -2, he’s surely too far back to consider winning: he’d have to match the record 54-hole comeback at the PGA, achieved only once, by John Mahaffey to snatch the prize off Tom Watson in 1978. Even then, Mahaffey started the day in fifth, while Scott had a third of the field ahead of him this morning. So, nope. But a climb up the rankings would still be most acceptable, and to this end he’s opened with birdies at 1 and 4. He’s -4.
Birdie for Tiger at 14, and he’s in red figures for the tournament at -1. Rory McIlroy is putting together a consistent round for once this week, albeit not a particularly exciting one; he turns in 34 after eight pars and a birdie at 5. Baby steps as he tries to rediscover his form ahead of next month’s US Open. He’s -1 too. And Erik van Rooyen finishes the week in style with a 66, rising to +1.
Back to the action inside the fence, and An has bounced straight back with birdie on 14. He’s -3 again. Brendan Steele has started well with birdies at 3 and 5; he’s -3 overall. And the young Norwegian Viktor Hovland, making his professional debut in the majors, looks like signing off in style. He turned in 34, and has since posted birdies at 10, 14 and 16. He’s four under for his round, and -2 overall.
Earlier we mentioned the crowd gathered by the boundary fence near the 12th tee (6.52pm BST). James Burke was a member of said throng, and here’s irrefutable evidence. By the looks of it, this was just after Tiger’s caddy gave him the aforementioned sandwich. Pulitzer, please!
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But it is true that the fourth round is yet to truly heat up. While we wait for the leading groups to tee off - it’s still well over two hours until the final pair of Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler make their way out - let us direct you to this article on Georgia Oboh, the first Nigerian player to earn a card on the Ladies European Tour.
Speaking Too Soon dept. An drops a stroke at 13, so a record-breaking round approaches pipe-dream status now. He’s -2. Meanwhile Oosthuizen ships a shot at 9 and slips to -1. Apologies to both for tempting fate, though An’s hole-in-one came immediately after an entry complaining about nothing whatsoever happening, so it’s swings and roundabouts. All part of our charm. Eh?
The 2010 Open champ Louis Oosthuizen - who tied for second in this tournament at Quail Hollow three years ago - is going along nicely. Birdies at 4, 5 and now 8 have launched him up to -2. There will surely be plenty of low scoring today, unless the wind picks up too much, as it did on the first two days especially.
An is now five under for his round through 12. He’s -3 overall. Just to point out that, should he pick up four more shots, he’d break Branden Grace’s lowest major round record of 62. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility: Ryan Palmer finished eagle, birdie, birdie after all. God speed, Ben.
The PGA has been good to us for hole-in-ones recently. Matt Wallace made one during the third round in 2018, two bounces, a shuffle and a roll on the 16th at Bellerive. Then last year at Bethpage Black, Lucas Bjerregaard sent a one-bounce, one-swish 6-iron into the cup at the 206-yard par three 17th. Such a shame there was no crowd to erupt when An repeated the feat today, but by the look of mellow contentment on his face, he doesn’t care one jot. A hole-in-one on the final day of a major!
A hole-in-one for An Byeong-hun! It’s at the 189-yard par-three 11th. A high draw lands softly on the green, takes four ever-decreasing bounces, and drops obediently into the cup! The feat takes a second or two to register - no punters down there to lose their minds - but when the penny drops, up go both arms in triumph with a jolly YAY! His playing partner Sepp Straka makes up for the lack of ear-splitting noise by cheering as well. A lovely moment. An ambles down to the green and plucks his ball from the hole with a smile of sweet satisfaction ... but not before repairing his pitchmark. Look and learn, kids.
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There’s not a whole lot going on at the moment, if we’re being totally honest with you. The 12th tee box is near the boundary fence, where small crowds have congregated all week to cheer on their favourites. Tiger belts one down the track to a few whoops and hollers. His caddy gives him a sandwich. The first major of the year, right here, live on your super soaraway Guardian.
The pins appear more accessible today, so Palmer shouldn’t be the only one shooting low. Further illustration is provided by An Byeong-hun, who really should have a better record in the majors than he does, but no top-ten finishes yet. He’s just gone out in 32, and that’s despite bogeying the 2nd. Birdies at 3, 4, 5 and 9 have whistled the 28-year-old South Korean up the leaderboard to -1.
The 43-year-old Texan Ryan Palmer hasn’t done too much in the majors in his long career. But he did lead this tournament after round one at Valhalla in 2014, and made an eagle on the back nine on Sunday that briefly threatened to catapult him into serious contention. He ended tied for sixth that week, his best finish in a big one. He’ll not match that today, but he’s just equalled Tommy Fleetwood and Cameron Champ’s best-of-week 64, thanks to a finish he would be able to sell for $$$$$$$$s to folk up the leaderboard if he could: eagle, birdie, birdie! Sensational stuff; he’s level par for the week. Here’s hoping he’s given the rest of the field the inspiration to launch some similar fireworks later on.
Jordan Spieth won’t be completing that career slam yet. Next year at Kiawah Island, perhaps. The three-time major winner has been struggling terribly with his game of late, though there were shafts of light during Friday’s 68. Yesterday’s miserable 76 was probably more indicative of his current malaise, but he’ll be back, and it’s nice to see him now three under for his round today too, and making plenty of birdies (4, 5, 10, 15 and now 16). He’s +4, and yeah, he’ll be back.
So having gone to all the trouble of writing that entry, he’s just bogeyed 8 after finding sand at the long par-three. Tiger! That means he’s no longer the hottest property out there early doors. That’ll now be his playing partner, 31-year-old North Carolinian Tom Hoge, who is making his PGA Championship debut this week. Birdies this morning at 1, 4 and 7, and he’s -1.
Unlike Medinah ‘99, Valhalla ‘00, Medinah ‘06 and Southern Hills ‘07, it’s not been Tiger’s week. An opening round of 68 gave hope that PGA #5 and major #16 could be on the way, but two subsequent rounds of 72 proved it was not to be. Yesterday’s 72 could have been a whole lot worse had his much-maligned new flat stick not got him out of a couple of scrapes on the back nine, and he’s taken confidence from that late boost today. Birdies at 4, 5 and now 7, and he’s -1 for the tournament.
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Preamble
This could be redemption time for Dustin Johnson. Ten years ago at Whistling Straits, the big man grounded his club on a patch of sandy grit coming down the last. Under the local rules, it counted as a bunker, and a retrospective penalty meant he missed out on a play-off with Bubba Watson and eventual winner Martin Kaymer.
Then last year at Bethpage Black, he reeled in runaway leader Brooks Koepka to within a stroke, only to immediately hand a couple of shots back and let his compatriot break for the tape. The PGA Championship owes him one. Yes, this could be redemption time. He’s playing more than well enough, as yesterday’s wonderful back nine of 31 proves beyond any doubt. It’s on! It’s ... on?
Thing is, Sundays are rarely kind to DJ at the majors. Also on his rap sheet: a three-putt from close range on 18 to hand over the 2015 US Open to Jordan Spieth; a shot wanged OB from the middle of the fairway at the business end of the 2011 Open; that triple-bogey, double-bogey pratfall upon stumbling out of the blocks at the 2010 US Open, shipping a three-shot 54-hole advantage in record time. Even the one he won, the 2016 US Open, involved another controversial retrospective penalty. Assume nothing when the big man’s in contention.
Plus Koepka is just two off the lead. There are plenty of other players ready to pounce, too. You could make a case for just about anyone on the leaderboard, which looked like this after 54 holes ...
-9: D Johnson
-8: Scheffler, Champ
-7: Morikawa, Casey, Koepka
-6: DeChambeau, Finau, Rose, Berger, Day, Fleetwood
-5: Dahmen, Kim, Wolff, Schauffele, Li
-4: Matsuyama, Wiesberger, Lorenzo-Vera
-3: Cantlay, Poulter, Simpson, Rahm, Reed, Varner III, Frittelli, Griffin, Todd
Here’s when everyone will be teeing off (BST not local). This promises to be a final day for the ages. Good luck, everyone! It’s on!
1500 Sung Kang
1510 Ryan Palmer, Jordan Spieth
1520 Chez Reavie, J.T. Poston
1530 Erik van Rooyen, Matt Wallace
1540 Danny Lee, Robert MacIntyre
1550 Adam Long, Bubba Watson
1600 Joost Luiten, Rory Sabbatini
1610 Kevin Streelman, Viktor Hovland
1620 Jim Herman, Gary Woodland
1630 Tiger Woods, Tom Hoge
1640 Sepp Straka, Byeong Hun An
1650 Billy Horschel, Abraham Ancer
1700 Phil Mickelson, Russell Henley
1710 Luke List, Mark Hubbard
1720 Bud Cauley, Louis Oosthuizen
1730 Brian Harman, Brandt Snedeker
1750 Kurt Kitayama, Rory McIlroy
1800 Doc Redman, Emiliano Grillo
1810 Mackenzie Hughes, Cameron Smith
1820 Brendan Steele, Alex Noren
1830 Denny McCarthy, Adam Hadwin
1840 Shane Lowry, Nate Lashley
1850 Justin Thomas, Harris English
1900 Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel
1910 Kevin Kisner, Victor Perez
1920 Brendon Todd, Keith Mitchell
1930 Dylan Frittelli, Lanto Griffin
1940 Patrick Reed, Harold Varner III
1950 Webb Simpson, Jon Rahm
2000 Patrick Cantlay, Ian Poulter
2010 Bernd Wiesberger, Mike Lorenzo-Vera
2020 Li Haotong, Hideki Matsuyama
2040 Matthew Wolff, Xander Schauffele
2050 Joel Dahmen, Si Woo Kim
2100 Daniel Berger, Tommy Fleetwood
2110 Justin Rose, Jason Day
2120 Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau
2130 Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka
2140 Cameron Champ, Collin Morikawa
2150 Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler
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