(AP)
Mito Pereira will take a three-shot lead into the final day of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills after overcoming a shaky turn to surge out in front on Saturday. Pereira birdied the last to card a 69 and remain ahead of overnight leader Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick, who put himself into contention after shooting an excellent 67.
Rory McIlroy’s bid to end his major drought suffered a significant early blow, however. After a run of five straight pars, McIlroy pulled his tee shot to the par-three sixth into the water and ran up a double-bogey five to drop back to two under par. It would be followed by a triple-bogey six and although a run of birdies helped, McIlroy then dropped a further shot at the 18th to finish the day at level par overall.
Earlier in the day, Tiger Woods recorded his worst ever score in the PGA Championship as a successful battle to make the cut took a heavy toll at Southern Hills. Woods shot 79, his previous worst score in the US PGA being a 77 in the first round in 2011. “I just didn’t play well,” Woods said. “I didn’t hit the ball very well and got off to not the start I needed to get off to. I thought I hit a good tee shot down two and ended up in the water, and just never really got any kind of momentum on my side.”
It was confirmed after the conclusion of the third day that Woods had withdrawn from the tournament and the 46-year-old will not play in the fourth round.
Follow all the action on what promises to be an intriguing final day, below:
McIlroy thru nine
No joy for McIlroy who misses his birdie putt to the left of the hole. That would have given him some momentum heading into the back nine but he’s gone out in 32 which is three under par.
You feel he’ll have to replicate that score on the back nine if he’s going to have any chance today.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 19:47
Good start continues for McIlroy
Rory makes a par on the eighth then monsters a 325-yard drive down the ninth fairway before chipping his second to around 15-feet. Birdie chance coming up.
Fitzpatrick attempts to draw his second shot on the first around the trees and he spanks it over the green, ending up behind the tv tower.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 19:45
Bubba misses birdie putt
Bubba Watson makes it three pars on the opening three holes after sliding his chance for birdie wide on the third.
Cameron Young drops back to (-4) as he leaves his effort for par a few inches short of the hole on the first green. Not the desired start for the young American.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 19:39
Pereira and Fitzpatrick get underway
There are no signs of nerves from the leader Mito Pereira (-9) as he bombs his drive on the first smack bang down the middle.
The same can’t be said for Matt Fitzpatrick (-6) who hooks his tee shot into the crowd over to the left of the fairway.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 19:37
Young struggles on the first
Cameron Young did find the sand off the tee on the first hole and had to lay up in the fairway with his second. He could still save par but would have liked to be a lot closer to the hole after dinking a wedge into the green.
His putt isn’t the easiest and he could be looking at a first hole bogey.
Will Zalatoris is on the green in two and has the chance for birdie.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 19:35
McIlroy with another birdie chance
On the par-3 eighth Rory McIlroy finds the right side of the green off the tee and leaves himself with a long putt for birdie. This will be some shot if it drops.
Bubba Watson (-2) gives himself a chance to pick up a shot on the third with a great approach to the third green. He leaves himself around 10-12 feet for a three.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 19:32
Zalatoris and Young tee off
The penultimate group of the day kick off their rounds on the first tee. Will Zalatoris (-6) is safely down the fairway but Cameron Young is a little wide.
He’s into the rough stuff over on the left but seems to have carried his drive over the bunker that’s positioned on that part of the hole.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 19:29
McIlroy inches away from a birdie
Ooooooooh. So close for McIlroy!
After he smoked his tee shot down the 7th fairway, a decent iron left him with maybe a 30-footer for birdie. He hit it well and it’s millimetres from dropping.
A par at the 7th at Southern Hills is never a bad score, so he’ll take that but he stays at (-3) and can’t get the shot he dropped at the 6th back.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 19:25
Bad start for Stewart Cink
Stewart Cink off to a bad start to his Sunday as he bogeys the 1st, slipping back to -1. Better from his playing partner Justin Thomas, who safely pars it to stay at -2 alongside Bubba Watson, Tommy Fleetwood and Lucas Herbert.
Luke Baker22 May 2022 19:22
Tommy Fleetwood goes back to back
Tommy Fleetwood getting himself involved now. The Englishman birdied 4th and followed that up with another at the 5th – holing a five-footer. He joins the group at -2.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy smokes his tee shot down the 7th fairway, a nice bounce back from his bogey at 6.
Luke Baker22 May 2022 19:17