PGA Championship: Alex Smalley holds shock lead as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm reel off big wins at Aronimink Golf Club | golf news

Alex Smalley topped a crowded leaderboard on the final day of the PGA Championship with Rory McIlroy and John Rahm among the main stars in the chasing pack.

The halfway co-leader recovered from a nightmare to mix seven birdies with five bogeys in his third-round two-under 68, giving him a two-shot advantage over Ryder Cup teammates Jon Rahm and Ludwig Aberg in a five-way tie for second.

With Aaron Rae also one back in his bid to become the first English winner of the PGA Championship since 1919, Matty Schmidt and Nick Taylor complete the group on four under, chasing back-to-back big wins with Rory McIlroy three strokes back.

McIlroy joins the American trio of Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed and Maverick McNealy at three under, while Justin Rose is four back and defending champion Scotty Scheffler is five back after his second straight 71.

A remarkable Saturday saw 14 different players hold at least a share of the lead at some point, with just five strokes separating the top 30 players heading into Sunday’s final round.

McIlroy, Rahm lead Smalley in major contention

Just eight strokes separated the halfway leaders from the cut mark as gusty winds and tight pins led to a crowded leaderboard, capitalizing on the best scoring conditions early Saturday morning.

Chris Kirk threatened to equal the lowest round in men’s major history before finishing his third round 65 with a double bogey, while Rose – who chipped in for eagle to make the cut on Friday – made five birdies on his front nine to move to two under.

McIlroy was five off the half-time lead but briefly joined the top spot after following a front-nine 32 with birdies at the 11th and a driveable 13th, with the world No.2 insisting he had a chance to claim victory despite bogeying the final hole of his round.

“I got out of that hole (slow start) a little bit,” said McIlroy, looking to win his third PGA Championship. “I’m proud of myself for doing it, but there’s one more day. I think I’ve done enough to feel like I have a chance.”

Rahm bogeyed the final hole of his third-round 67 to sit one back and Åberg moved to four-under with a two-under 68, while Schmid birdied three of his final five holes and Taylor posted a bogey-free 65 to share second place.

Scheffler – chasing a fifth major title in as many seasons – dropped out of the top 20 after struggling with his putter during a one-over 71, while Jordan Spieth’s hopes of completing a career Grand Slam ended for another year when a level-par 70 left him seven behind.

Smalley reaches new heights with historic major lead

Smalley, who held a share of the lead after both of the first two rounds, bogeyed three of his first four holes and canceled out a birdie at the seventh with a drop shot at the eighth.

The world No 78 responded with a back-to-back birdie and another at the par-four 13th, before holing from 25 feet on the 15th and two-putting from 50 feet to briefly go two ahead.

Smalley failed to get up and down the sand to save par on 17 but eventually made amends with a 15-foot birdie, securing the American – yet to win on the PGA Tour – his first 54-hole lead as a professional.

“I’ve been in the final group before, but obviously not on a stage like this,” Smalley said told Sky Sports. “There’s a lot of guys around the top of the leaderboard, so it’s a wide-open golf tournament. I’m just going to try to hit the best shot I can and see where that takes me.”

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