CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the golf ball arced through the sky, Scottie Scheffler stood motionless, watching his drive land precisely where intended – just short of the 14th green, bouncing forward and rolling onto the putting surface. From over 300 yards away, Scheffler had placed the ball just under three feet from the cup. The subsequent eagle putt was a mere formality, elevating him to a tie for the lead at 8-under par, but it served as a clear declaration across Quail Hollow: Scottie Scheffler is unavoidable in professional golf right now.
The first two days of the PGA Championship featured a diverse leaderboard with several surprising contenders. However, on Saturday, when Scheffler made an eagle on the 14th hole and followed it with birdies on the 15th, 17th, and 18th, reaching 11-under par for a commanding three-shot lead after 54 holes, it felt like order had been restored. Even this major, which had seemed unpredictable for over 36 holes, eventually gravitated towards its expected focal point.
“I try to focus as much as I can on executing the shot, and there`s things out there that you can`t control,” Scheffler said. “I can`t control what other guys are doing. I can`t control getting bad wind gusts. I can`t control how the ball is going to react when it hits the green. All I can do is try to hit the shot I`m trying to hit. That`s what I`m focused on out there. Some days it works better than others.”
While Scheffler surged into the lead, his dominance was underscored by the struggles of other competitors. Quail Hollow`s notoriously challenging finishing stretch, known as the Green Mile, took its toll, resulting in Jon Rahm`s bogey on the 17th and Bryson DeChambeau`s double bogey on the same hole.
Reflecting on his round, DeChambeau commented, “I`m three back with one round to go in a major championship. So, I can`t complain too much.”
Two-time major winner Jon Rahm, after reaching 6-under on Saturday, stated, “I`m assuming I`ll be at least one shot back starting tomorrow. But that`s a great position.”
The challenge for his competitors was that the world`s top-ranked player still had holes left to play, and Scheffler navigated the Green Mile at 2-under par. Consequently, on Sunday, Rahm would begin five strokes behind Scheffler, while DeChambeau faced a six-shot deficit.
Three other players were closer to Scheffler heading into Sunday than Rahm. Alex Noren, a 42-year-old recovering from a hamstring injury, was three shots back and paired with Scheffler, having finished tied for 51st the previous week. Davis Riley and J.T. Poston were both at 7-under. Riley has only two top-10 finishes this season and a history of missing more cuts than making them in majors. Poston, conversely, has never finished higher than 30th in a major championship.
This highlights that Scheffler isn`t being immediately pursued by the world`s absolute elite. Despite their larger deficits, Rahm and DeChambeau might be his most formidable potential challengers, especially as both are aiming for their third major victory.
For Jon Rahm, this marked his first genuine contention in a major championship since joining LIV Golf, presenting an opportunity to add to his major tally. Winning the PGA Championship, followed by a victory at The Open Championship in Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland, would allow him to achieve the career Grand Slam, a feat recently accomplished by Rory McIlroy.
A smiling Rahm conveyed his desire, stating, “It`s hard to express how hungry I may be for a major, about as hungry as anybody can be in this situation. Very happy to be in position again.”
Rahm has demonstrated consistent play throughout the week. He leads the field in strokes gained off the tee and ranks 20th in approach play, though he has lost nearly a full stroke around the green. This represents one of his most complete major performances since his 2023 Masters win, but it might still lack the necessary firepower to overtake Scheffler.
Bryson DeChambeau`s third round hindered what seemed to be a promising Sunday where he would be just a stroke or two off the lead. The course`s layout naturally suits DeChambeau`s strong driving game. However, similar to his performance at Augusta, his approach play (ranked 54th in the field this week) could again prevent him from securing a third major title.
DeChambeau focused on his own performance, saying, “All I can do is control what I can control, and if I go out and shoot 6-, 7-under, that`s what I`m focused on doing,” adding the caveat, “Not that that`s what`s going to do it, but you never know.”
Before the event at Quail Hollow, much of the attention was justifiably focused on Rory McIlroy, who had recently achieved a historic, career-defining Grand Slam victory at the Masters. However, Scottie Scheffler, fresh off winning his previous tournament by eight shots, was still considered a co-favorite and widely recognized as the current benchmark in the sport.
During the initial two rounds, Scheffler posted casual scores of 69 and 68. This didn`t feel particularly remarkable because his ability to break par even without his peak performance has become standard. The high bar he has established means the only surprise would be if he didn`t finish within the top 10. Even after six top-10 finishes this season, the lack of a win before the Byron Nelson two weeks prior surprisingly led to questions about his game`s form. While Scheffler has occasionally displayed frustration on the course, he consistently advocates for patience.
Scheffler explained his approach: “Golf is not really a game where you can force things. If you are playing a sport like football or basketball, you can force things based on adrenaline or pushing people out of the way or whatever it is. Golf, I feel like it`s more letting the scores come to you, and you have to be a lot more patient, I think, in this sport than you do other ones, especially over the course of a 72-hole tournament.”
This week, Scheffler`s performance has mirrored that of the world`s premier player, ranking in the top 10 for strokes gained off the tee, approach shots, and around the green. Crucially, his putting has been more than adequate (ranking 36th), and his renowned ability to recover from mistakes is evidently sharp. This combination is precisely the formula that has earned him two Masters titles.
Scheffler emphasized his focus: “I`m out there to get the most out of myself and try to beat up on the golf course, and at the end of the day, that`s what I`m focused on. If I`m thinking about what somebody else is doing out there, that`s not going to be a good thing for me.”
Heading into Sunday, Scheffler enjoys the luxury of being able to concentrate solely on his own game. While his challengers might claim they are only focused on what they can control, deep down they understand the reality: for any of them to have a realistic chance of lifting the Wanamaker Trophy, they need golf`s most inevitable force to finally stumble.
