After a rain-soaked Saturday at Oak Hill, the skies have cleared on Sunday in Rochester, paving the way for what should be an epic final round of the 2023 PGA Championship.
Yes, the difficulty of the golf course, plus some major championship Sunday pressure, will still make it extremely tough on the final groups. But conditions are ripe for scoring, which should allow those just a few off the lead like Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose to make a Sunday charge.
Don’t sleep on club pro Michael Block, either. The man is playing for a spot in next year’s Masters, in addition to playing for some serious history.
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They’re all chasing Brooks Koepka, who pointed out in his post-round presser on Saturday night that he’s chasing some history, too. A victory on Sunday would give him three Wanamaker Trophies, a feat only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have accomplished. It would also be his fifth major, a total only 19 players have ever reached. Koepka, at six under and leading by one, will play alongside Viktor Hovland in the final group at 2:30 p.m. ET. Hovland is going for his first major title, as is Canada’s Corey Conners, who will be paired up with DeChambeau in the penultimate twosome.
11:52 a.m. — Other notables making an early, mini charge include Adam Scott, who just made his third birdie of the day at the par-4 eighth to climb to three over for the championship. He’s tied for 20th along with Schauffele and a host of others who have yet to tee off. In the pack right behind them at four over is a group that includes Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm, both two under early in their rounds.
11:44 a.m. — Here comes Xander! A birdie-birdie start gets Schauffele to three over, nine off the lead but inside the top 20, where he lives at major championships. It’s becoming clear that the first few holes are providing an opportunity for guys to get off to hot starts, which should produce some interesting jockeying later this afternoon.
11:10 a.m. — What a difference a day makes. After monsoon-like conditions had everyone wondering why they played the PGA in Rochester in May on Saturday, Sunday has turned into a top-10 day. Temperatures are in the mid-60s as we type and they could get as high as 73 in the afternoon. There is some wind expected, which is just how it should be on Sunday at a major, but these players will trade breezy conditions for sopping wet ones any day of the week.
While most on the course have no chance of winning the tournament, it’s worth pointing out that there are some birdies to be had. Surprise, surprise, Jon Rahm has made back-to-back to begin his final round, jumping 15 spots on the leader board in the process (T-42 to T-27). At four over, he’s 10 back. Last year’s surprise story, Mito Pereira, is also at four over after making birdie at No. 1. The best round on the course belongs to Adrian Meronk, who is three under through 10 holes, putting him at five over, T-36.