(AFP)
Mito Pereira will take a three-shot lead on the final day of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills after overcoming a shaky corner to take the lead on Saturday. Pereira beat the last 69 card and stayed ahead of the overnight leader Will Zalatores and Matthew Fitzpatrick, who put himself in contention with his excellent 67th shot.
Rory McIlroy’s attempt to end his major drought suffered a major early blow. After a streak of five straight pars, McIlroy pulled his tee shot to third in the water and ran a five-double bogey to drop again to two sub-par. A triple bogey would follow him and although a string of birds helped, McIlroy then dropped another shot on the 18th to finish the day overall.
Earlier in the day, Tiger Woods recorded his worst result ever in the PGA Championship as a successful fight to make the cut took heavy losses at Southern Hills. Woods hit 79, his previous worst result in the US PGA being 77 in the first round in 2011. “I didn’t play well,” Woods said. “I didn’t hit the ball very well and came down so I didn’t need to start. I thought I hit a good starting point I dropped two and ended up in the water, not getting any kind of momentum on my part.”
After the end of the third day, he confirmed that Woods had withdrawn from the tournament and that the 46-year-old would not participate in the fourth round.
Follow all the action on what promises to be one last, intriguing day, below:
Bubba misses Birdie Bot
Bubba Watson makes three quarters in the open three after slipping his chance of getting a wide jumper in the third.
Cameron Young returns to (-4) as his effort leaves on par a few short inches of the hole on the first green. Not the desired start for the young American.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 19:39
Pereira and Fitzpatrick take off
There are no signs of nerves in Commander Mito Pereira (-9) pounding his command at the first slap that explodes in the middle.
The same couldn’t be said of Matt Fitzpatrick (-6) who fired a tee into the crowd to the left of the fairway.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 19:37
Young people struggle first
Cameron Young found sand from a tee on the first hole and had to lie in the fairway with his second. He could still save equally but would have liked to be a lot closer to the hole after dipping a wedge into the green.
His throw isn’t the easiest and he can look at the first hole.
Zalatoris will be on the green in two and has a chance to bird.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 19:35
McIlroy with another chance for birds
In the eighth part of Rory McIlroy, he finds the right side of the green from the tee and leaves himself with a long birdie hit. These will be some shots if you fall.
Bubba Watson (-2) gives himself a chance to take a shot in the third with a great approach to the third green. Leaves itself about 10-12 feet for three.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 19:32
Zalatoris and Young tee
The penultimate group of the day begins their rounds on the first tee. Will Zalatoris (-6) is safely down the lane but Cameron Young is a little wide.
He got into the rough stuff on the left but seems to have carried his lead over the bunker on that part of the hole.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 19:29
McIlroy inches away from a bird
Oooooh. Too close to McIlroy!
After he smoked his tee down the seventh lane, a good iron left him with perhaps 30 feet for the birdie. It hit it really well and it’s millimeters from the fall.
The seventh-day parity at Southern Hills is never a bad score, so he’ll take that but it stays at (-3) and can’t get the shot he dropped at the sixth linebacker.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 19:25
Bad start for Stuart Sink
Stuart Sinek got off to a poor start to Sunday as he swung in the first, dropping to -1. Better than his co-playing partner Justin Thomas, who distributes it safely to stay at -2 alongside Bubba Watson, Tommy Fleetwood and Lucas Herbert.
Luke BakerMay 22 2022 19:22
Tommy Fleetwood is back
Tommy Fleetwood is now participating. The fourth flying Englishman followed that up with another in the fifth – five foot penetration. He joins the group at -2.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy smokes his tee that brought down Route Seven, a nice bounce from his bogey in Six.
Luke BakerMay 22 2022 19:17
Justin Thomas and Stewart Sink on the way
Players who need a good run to legitimately put themselves in a fray but still fantasize about the task, get their start. Justin Thomas and Stewart Sink – both at -2, seven strokes back – hit their shots on a tee in the first. Found Fairways for both Americans.
Bubba Watson separates first so it stays at -2.
Luke BakerMay 22 2022 19:11
Boogie McElroy
His saves around the greens are usually a strength in Rory McIlroy’s game but this time they let him down. We mentioned that the wrong tee has a shot on the par-3 6th and slides below par, which leaves him 20 feet on par.
He hits a good shot but slips hard and back to -3 for Rory.
Luke BakerMay 22 2022 19:08