CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scottie Scheffler`s remarkable shot on the 14th hole Saturday at the PGA Championship felt like a definitive statement. His tee shot, arcing from 304 yards out, landed precisely where needed, bouncing onto the green and rolling to a mere 2 feet, 9 inches from the hole. The resulting eagle was a formality, instantly tying him for the lead at 8-under.
This display wasn`t just a brilliant golf shot; it was a tangible representation of a prevailing truth in professional golf over the past two years: Scottie Scheffler possesses an air of inevitability.
The initial two days of the PGA Championship saw a diverse and somewhat unexpected group atop the leaderboard. However, Scheffler`s impressive run on Saturday – following his eagle on 14 with birdies on 15, 17, and 18 – pushed him to 11-under. This surge secured him a clear three-shot lead heading into the final round, bringing a sense of familiar order back to the tournament, as if the natural hierarchy of the sport had reasserted itself.
Scheffler described his mental approach:
“I try to focus as much as I can on executing the shot, and there`s things out there that you can`t control. 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.”
As Scheffler built momentum, other top contenders stumbled, particularly on Quail Hollow`s demanding finishing stretch, the “Green Mile.” Jon Rahm bogeyed the 17th, while Bryson DeChambeau suffered a double bogey on the same hole, costing them valuable shots.
Despite the setbacks, both players maintained a positive outlook.
“I`m three back with one round to go in a major championship,” DeChambeau said, finishing his round six shots behind Scheffler. “So, I can`t complain too much.”
“I`m assuming I`ll be at least one shot back starting tomorrow,” Rahm, who is five shots back, stated after his Saturday round. “But that`s a great position.”
However, the challenge is significant. The players immediately ahead of Rahm on the leaderboard heading into Sunday are less experienced major contenders. Alex Noren, 42, recovering from injury, is three shots back and will play alongside Scheffler. Davis Riley and J.T. Poston, both at 7-under (four shots back), will follow. Riley has a mixed record with flashes of form and several missed cuts, while Poston has never finished better than 30th in a major.
Scottie Scheffler is aiming for his first PGA Championship victory.
Given the leaderboard composition, Rahm and DeChambeau, both two-time major winners seeking their third titles, appear to be Scheffler`s most formidable potential challengers, despite the deficit on the scoreboard.
For Rahm, this week marks his most significant contention in a major since joining LIV Golf. Winning the PGA Championship would give him three major titles and set up a potential Grand Slam opportunity at The Open Championship. He expressed his motivation clearly:
“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`s performance this week has been solid, leading the field in strokes gained off the tee and ranking well in approach play, although his putting has cost him strokes. It represents his most complete major showing since his 2023 Masters win, but it might not be quite enough to reel in Scheffler.
DeChambeau`s third round prevented him from being just a stroke or two back. While his driving has been strong and suits the course, his approach game ranks much lower (54th in the field), potentially hindering his pursuit of a third major, similar to issues he faced at Augusta.
“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,” DeChambeau said, adding a note of uncertainty. “Not that that`s what`s going to do it, but you never know.”
Ahead of the tournament, much of the attention was on Rory McIlroy following his historic Masters victory and Grand Slam completion. Yet, Scheffler, who had recently won by a dominant eight shots, remained the co-favorite and the recognized standard-setter in golf.
His opening rounds of 69 and 68 were understated performances, highlighting his exceptional ability to score well even when not at his absolute peak – a consistency that has become commonplace. The benchmark he has established is so high that a finish outside the top 10 is newsworthy. Despite multiple top-10 finishes earlier in the season before his recent win, there was some discussion about his form, but Scheffler has consistently advocated for patience.
“Golf is not really a game where you can force things… 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 is performing like the world`s top player, ranking highly across strokes gained categories: off the tee, approach, and around the green. Crucially, his putting has been more than adequate (36th), and his well-known mental strength – his ability to recover from mistakes – appears sharp. This combination is precisely the recipe that has led him to two Masters victories.
“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,” Scheffler affirmed. “If I`m thinking about what somebody else is doing out there, that`s not going to be a good thing for me.”
Entering the final round, Scheffler holds the distinct advantage of being able to concentrate solely on his own game. While his competitors will focus on what they can control, the reality for them is clear: to lift the Wanamaker Trophy, they will need the sport`s most inevitable force to finally falter.
