Brooks Koepka will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the US PGA Championship but he will have a high-class pack trying to chase him down as he goes in search of a second Major of the season.
The two-time defending US Open champion looked like he was going to run away with things at Bellerive Country Club when he opened up a five-shot lead on the back nine but bogeys on the 14th and 15th left the door open to the rest of the field.
Koepka’s 66 moved him to 12 under, with 2013 Masters Tournament champion Adam Scott his closest challenger after a 65. Spaniard Jon Rahm carded a 66 to get to nine under and sit in a tie for third – his best position heading into the final round of a Major – alongside Americans Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland.
“I’m just focused on me,” said the Challenge Tour graduate. “I feel like, if I do what I’m supposed to, I should win the golf tournament. Yeah, there’s a lot of star power, and it should be, it’s a Major championship. You should see the best players in the world come to the top. And that’s what you have, and that’s what’s going to make this event very exciting to watch tomorrow.
“Everybody out here is so good, and you look at this leaderboard and it’s just, they are names that I’ve grown up watching that everybody else loves to watch play, and it should be an exciting day tomorrow.”
14-time Major winner Tiger Woods was four shots off the lead alongside defending champion Justin Thomas, 2015 winner Jason Day, 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink, 2011 Green Jacket winner Charl Schwartzel and Ireland’s Shane Lowry.
Should Koepka claim a third Major title on Sunday afternoon, the 28 year old will become the first man to win the US Open and US PGA Championship titles in the same season since Woods did it en route to the ‘Tiger Slam’ in 2000.
