Morikawa and Schauffele finish third day of US PGA on top as Lowry equals record | American PGA

All it takes is something special to divert the discussion around this US PGA Championship from Scottie Scheffler and his contacts with Louisville law enforcement. The world No. 1 lost here on the third day, which was entirely understandable given the tension associated with four charges, including one for assaulting a police officer.

Shane Lowry took it upon himself to create a fresh and uplifting storyline. The Irishman stood on the 18th green at Valhalla on an 11-foot-6 putt that could have made history. If he had found the bottom of the cup with his birdie attempt, he would have achieved the first 61 in major history.

For the first time all day, Lowry’s ball refused to cooperate. The 2019 Open champion had to settle for just the fifth 62 in one of golf’s four marquee events. Lowry’s reaction as his ball missed the cut, so just to the left, demonstrated that he knew very well what was within his reach.

“That’s probably the biggest disappointment you can ever achieve shooting 62,” he said. “I knew what was at stake. When you come out in the 29th, you think, ‘Wow, I had a good day here.’ You have 10, it’s a fairly accessible par five. I think when I made the putt on 14, I was like, “Here we go, yeah, this is a good opportunity.”

“But 15 is tricky and 16 is a tough hole. I felt like I played them really well. Obviously, until birdie 17, that’s when I knew I really wanted to hit a good tee shot on the last one. I pushed it a little bit and put it down and hit a great wedge shot and obviously just missed the putt. Yes, it was on my mind from about 14 years old. A smile from Lowry followed. “I’ve actually shot 60 before. I made a putt for a 59. And I didn’t make it.

Until the end, Lowry’s display was breathtaking. The 13th witnessed his signature moment, as he converted for a 37-foot birdie. There was also heroics at the 10th, where the world number 43 did surprisingly well to save par after a bunker shot returning to the very hole he had created when throwing.

The big picture shows that at 13 under par, he is very much in the hunt as he targets a second major title. “I kind of felt all season that if I could warm up my putter, I could be dangerous,” he said. “I kept saying it. Here I am coming out in one of the last groups tomorrow, with a chance in this tournament. It’s a nice position to be in. Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele’s 15-under par leads Sahith Theegala by one point with 18 holes remaining in Kentucky.

Justin Rose, whose 64 years with Lowry were made to seem ordinary, knew precisely what was going on with his playing partner. “I told my caddy, ‘He needs two birdies in the last four holes here.’ So he obviously made a great birdie at 17 and unfortunately missed the fairway at 18. But I knew exactly what I was looking at, let’s put it that way. The 2013 US Open winner is just one point behind Lowry’s 54-hole total.

Scheffler’s dismal start to the third day fortunately only had to do with his golf. He made a double bogey at the 2nd before throwing more shots over the next two holes.

The Masters champion recovered slightly after that, but by the time he made a bogey at the 14th, he was plus three for his day. Too many top players now stand between the Texan and the top of the rankings. Barring a miracle – Valhalla in this state is rather accessible – Scheffler is playing for a place.

Rory McIlroy made a sad figure after his 68. The world number 2 and winner of his last two PGA Tour events was within touching distance of the lead after producing four birdies in a row starting at the 7th. He missed subsequent chances, which looked even more costly as the Northern Irishman dropped shots in the 14th and 16th.

“There was a stretch of six or seven holes where the putter went cold on me,” McIlroy said. “Depending on what happens tomorrow, if I look back on the tournament, I might regret that stretch where I couldn’t make a putt. I putt really well on Thursday and over the last couple of days the putter kind of gave up on me.