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<\/gu-island><\/span><\/p>\n\n\nAaron Rai looks to be in a spot of bother on the monster 551-yard 15th, the longest par-four in major championship history.<\/strong> His drive disappears into the rough down the left, and he\u2019s forced to gouge out. But left with 108 yards, he lands his wedge a few feet past the hole and spins it back to 17 inches. He\u2019ll tidy that up for a par that\u2019ll feel like a birdie.<\/p>\nShare\n\nChris Gotterup has been going about his business quietly.<\/strong> Now he hits the turn in 33, after birdies at 6 and 9. He joins Aaron Rai in the lead at -5 \u2026 as does Jon Rahm, who birdies the other par-five on the course, the 16th. Gotterup and Rahm become the 43rd and 44th [subs please check]<\/em> players to lead this tournament today<\/em>.<\/p>\nShare\n\nScottie Scheffler is re-energised.<\/strong> From the bunker guarding the front of 12, he splashes out to kick-in distance. For a split second, the ball looks like dropping for another birdie, but stubbornly shaves the lip. Scottie spins round with great god-darn-it feeling. He thought that was in. But he\u2019s still just three off the lead at -2, and the wind\u2019s dropped a bit, so field watch out.<\/p>\nShare\n\nProblems for Min Woo Lee at the par-five 9th.<\/strong> He\u2019s over the back of the green, and he\u2019s unable to get back up with his chip. He ends up with a double-bogey seven, dropping to -1 overall. Meanwhile on the huge 8th green, Maverick McNealy leaves himself a 100-foot putt (!) and clatters it eight feet past and wide left. He can\u2019t make the next one, and there goes that blemish-free run of pars. He\u2019s -3. But Aaron Rai makes a nerveless save on 14, despite knocking his first putt six feet long. Rai still holds the sole lead at -5.<\/p>\nShare\n\nFinally some positive momentum for Scottie Scheffler.<\/strong> He wedges his approach at 11 over the flag to ten feet, and steers in the downhill swinger, with big right-to-left movement. Very well judged, especially in the context of the much easier putts he\u2019s missed this afternoon, and he pumps the air gently with his fist as the ball drops. He\u2019s back where he started the day at -2.<\/p>\nShare\n\nAn incredibly careless three-putt bogey from 15 feet by Ludvig \u00c5berg on 12.<\/strong> Maverick McNealy makes a graceful sandy save from a deep bunker at 7, without too much green to work with. That\u2019s his seventh par in a row today. The new pretender to Nick Faldo\u2019s crown? Because Stephan Jaeger is busy ruining his own steady-as-she-goes reputation: after that run of 29 consecutive pars was broken by birdie, he\u2019s then carded back-to-back bogeys, at 7 and 8, to drop away to -2.<\/p>\nShare\n\nBirdie for Jon Rahm on 14.<\/strong> Reward for a tee shot at the par-three sent from 203 yards to 13 feet, and a putt rodded home. Meanwhile news of a disastrous finish to Justin Thomas\u2019s front nine: bogeys at 7, 8 and 9, and he clatters down the standings to -1.<\/p>\n-5: Rai (12)Share\n\nTaylor cards 65<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n Nick Taylor finds the heart of 18 in regulation, and has a 12-footer for birdie and a share of the lead. But he lets the putt slip by. Par, though, and he\u2019s the latest player to scribble his name at the bottom of a 65. His playing partner and compatriot Corey Conners let things slip dreadfully, though: having made it up the leaderboard to -3, thanks in no small part to four consecutive birdies, 3 through 7, he bogeyed six of the last seven holes to sign for a spirit-sapping 72. He\u2019s +3.<\/p>\nNick Taylor\u2019s par on the 18th green sealed a round of 65.<\/span> Photograph: Laurence Kesterson\/UPI\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShareUpdated at\u00a016.12 EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\nWhen Justin Thomas won his second PGA four years ago, he came back from a seven-shot deficit after 54 holes.<\/strong> That matched the PGA Championship record set by John Mahaffey in 1978. Thing is, there were just six players above Thomas on the leaderboard at that point; when Mahaffey did it, there were just four above him. Now this is purely for illustrative purposes, but right now there are 55 players within seven shots of the lead. Should Aaron Rai drop a shot, there\u2019d be 65. Not entirely sure what I\u2019m trying to say here, other than this leaderboard is glorious nonsense \u2026 and nobody will be coming back from seven behind this week, you can be pretty sure of that.<\/p>\nShare\n\nSchmid shoots 65<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n Matti Schmid pars the last to sign for a wonderful 65. It\u2019s extra-special, as Paul McGinley on Sky points out, given he\u2019s completed half of that round in wind stronger than the earlier starters played in. At -4, Schmid takes over the clubhouse lead from Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.<\/p>\nShare\n\nNo, hold on, make that four off the lead<\/strong> \u2026 because Aaron Rai rolls in a 15-footer on 11 for his third birdie on the bounce, and the popular Englishman grabs the lead for himself!<\/strong> Given no English player has won this title since Jim Barnes in 1919, I\u2019ll have<\/em> to update the leaderboard now. Because just look at it!<\/p>\n-5: Rai (11)Aaron Rai took the lead after the 11th on day three.<\/span> Photograph: Carolyn Kaster\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShareUpdated at\u00a016.09 EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\nScottie Scheffler can only par the par-five 9th, and he turns in 36 strokes.<\/strong> Not the performance anyone expected. And yet he\u2019s just three off the lead at -1.<\/p>\nShare\n\nChris Gotterup joins the leaders.<\/strong> Birdie at 6. This is getting old. I\u2019m not updating the leaderboard yet. I\u2019m not sulking, I just \u2026 I just can\u2019t<\/em>. I will soon, promise.<\/p>\nShare\n\n\u2026 so how did Stephan Jaeger join the leaders?<\/strong> Well, the simple answer is, with birdie at 6. But what\u2019s really eye-opening is that the birdie snaps a run of 29 consecutive pars<\/em>. That run makes Nick Faldo look like Maurice Flitcroft.<\/p>\nShare\n\nMake that a round dozen.<\/strong> The 38-year-old Canadian Nick Taylor is on a heater: birdies at 3, 6, 9, 14 and now 16, and he\u2019s joined the ever-growing pack at -4. Two pars and he\u2019ll match Kristoffer Reitan, Chris Kirk and Justin Rose\u2019s best-of-day 65s. Meanwhile one par for Matti Schmid and he\u2019ll have done that, after parring 17.<\/p>\n-4: Schmid (17), Taylor (16), Rai (10), \u00c5berg (9), Jaeger (6), McNealy (4)<\/em><\/p>\nShare\n\nIt\u2019s been an up-and-down round for Min Woo Lee so far.<\/strong> Bogeys at 3 and 4, followed by birdies at 5 and 6. The latter birdie was a swashbuckling affair: a 380-yard tee shot at the driveable par-four, into the heart of the green \u2026 then an aggressive eagle putt that races six feet past. But he makes the one coming back \u2026 and now he\u2019s set up another birdie chance at 7. Meanwhile back-to-back birdies for Aaron Rai, at 9 and 10, and according to Sky Sports (because I\u2019m certainly not going back to count) he becomes the 11th different leader today! It\u2019s quite the leaderboard all right.<\/p>\nMin Woo Lee plays an approach shot on the 1st.<\/span> Photograph: Laurence Kesterson\/UPI\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShareUpdated at\u00a016.13 EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\nMatti Schmid is looking to become just the third male major champion of all time, behind Bernard Langer and Martin Kaymer.<\/strong> The 28-year-old hasn\u2019t come close before: his silver medal for low amateur at the 2021 Open at Sandwich, which saw him finish in a tie for 59th, is still his best effort in any major. But on PGA Championship debut this week, he\u2019s finally making his presence felt. Birdies at 13, 14 and now 16 have whisked him into a share of the lead. And he\u2019s joined there by Ludvig \u00c5berg, after birdies at 4, 6 and 9. Many think \u00c5berg\u2019s major breakthrough, which surely will happen sooner or later, is most likely to come at Augusta, but here we are. This is quite the leaderboard.<\/p>\n-4: Schmid (16), \u00c5berg (9), McNealy (3)Share\n\nScottie Scheffler follows up one three-putt bogey with another.<\/strong> His tee shot into the par-three 8th nearly finds a bunker at the front. Instead it pings off the shoulder, to the right and then back to the front of the big green. His first putt up and over a ridge sails five feet wide left, and his uncertain par prod dribbles wide right of the green. Some shocked mumbling from the gallery, who haven\u2019t seen Scottie putt like this since the early stage of his career, before something clicked with the flat stick and he went stellar. He\u2019s back down to -1, and his expected charge across this supposedly easier front nine simply hasn\u2019t materialised.<\/p>\nScottie Scheffler endured a tricky start.<\/span> Photograph: Laurence Kesterson\/UPI\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShareUpdated at\u00a016.14 EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\nThe wind is beginning to pick up now.<\/strong> Flags whipping. Trouser legs flapping. It\u2019s not causing Justin Thomas any problems yet, though. The two-time champion birdies 5 and 6 to join the leaders. Meanwhile up on 18, Xander Schauffele pars the last to match Rory McIlroy\u2019s 66, while Rickie Fowler signs for a blemish-free 68. They\u2019re -3 and -1 respectively.<\/p>\n-4: Rahm (10), Thomas (6), McNealy (2)Share\n\nA careless bogey for Scottie Scheffler on 7.<\/strong> He gets a good break with his drive, which looked to be heading for the rough, but takes a bounce back onto the fairway. But he doesn\u2019t take advantage. Distance control uncharacteristically awry, he flies the flag, and can\u2019t get down in two putts from a higher portion of the green. Back to -2 for Scottie, and gaining and keeping momentum has been an issue for the world number one all week. Meanwhile Aldrich Potgieter fails to get up and down from greenside sand at 3 and hands the shot he\u2019d just picked up straight back to the field. He slips out of the joint lead.<\/p>\nShare\n\nRory McIlroy cards 66<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n \u2026 but he\u2019ll be feeling a bit better about them now. He bumps a gentle chip up and onto the 18th green, using the bank to stun the ball and the left-to-right camber to roll it to six feet. It\u2019s a missable putt, but he strokes it in confidently, and that\u2019s a big save. He\u2019s -3, and will be part of this tomorrow, which isn\u2019t something that looked likely when he trudged off the course on Thursday after that 74. His playing partner and friend Brooks Koepka ends with a 68 \u2013 he\u2019s -1 – and the pair walk off together smiling and chatting. All good vibes.<\/p>\nRory McIlroy at the 18th after playing himself back into contention.<\/span> Photograph: Frank Franklin II\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShareUpdated at\u00a016.16 EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\nMcIlroy\u2019s driver has been misbehaving over this closing stretch, and there\u2019s one last act of petulance from it.<\/strong> He sends his tee shot at 18 into thick rough down the right. He\u2019s only able to scythe a wedge back onto the fairway, and now faces a very testing up and down to avoid an unwelcome bogey-bogey finish. It\u2019d beat four in a row I guess. But he\u2019s not enjoying these closing holes this week.<\/p>\nShare\n\nRory does pretty well to limit the damage to bogey.<\/strong> A graceful chip from the thick surround that dribbles up to tap-in distance. But that\u2019s cost him a share of the lead. Alex Smalley drops out of it too: though he finds the green from the trees with his second at 1, he seriously overcooks his first putt, and can\u2019t make the 12-footer that\u2019s left coming back. But coming the other way: Jon Rahm, who can\u2019t make a 20-foot eagle putt on 9, but birdie will do. Meanwhile birdie for Scottie Scheffler at the short(ish) par-four 6th, and it\u2019s all happening at the top.<\/p>\n-4: Rahm (9), Potgieter (2), McNealy (1)Share\n\nRory McIlroy gets a bit too clever on the par-three 17th, not once, but twice.<\/strong> He goes aggressively for the pin, tucked away back right behind a bunker, instead of going for the safer play. He dunks his tee shot into said trap, and his ball is plugged halfway up the face. Shortsided, he gets too delicate with his splash out, and though the ball escapes the bunker, it nestles in the first cut surrounding the green. Percentage play eschewed on both occasions, he\u2019d now grab a bogey four with both hands and move on. So yeah, according to those aforementioned Justin Rose Rules, this closing stretch really was all about getting home without attracting trouble.<\/p>\nShare\n\nAldrich Potgieter walks in a birdie putt on 2 to join the leaders.<\/strong> Hideki Matsuyama should do the same on 1, but fails to hit an inviting five-footer. He remains at -3. Meanwhile up on 18, Martin Kaymer pars for a very impressive 66. The 2010 champion is making an unexpected bid for a third major, fuelled by some PGA dolt asking him at the champions\u2019 dinner whether he was still playing competitive golf. Suitably piqued, he\u2019s now -2. He couldn\u2019t, could he?<\/p>\nShare\n\nThe final pairing come to the party.<\/strong> Alex Smalley is first up, and the North Carolinian wangs a wild opening drive towards the trees down the right. That didn\u2019t even bother any of the punters lined along the hole. Maverick McNealy then blooters his tee shot down the left side of the fairway, and that\u2019s everyone out now. A big evening for these two young men, neither with any story in the majors, and some of the biggest names in golf on their tail, coming up.<\/p>\nShare\n\nGreyserman makes a pretty good fist of the long par putt from the fringe at 2.<\/strong> It\u2019s never dropping, but it\u2019s close. He tidies up for bogey; to be honest, that could have been much worse after three extremely average shots. He\u2019s back to -3 \u2026 as is, but in a much better mood, Aaron Rai, who birdies 6.<\/p>\nShareUpdated at\u00a0