Two-time champion Brooks Koepka has a one-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship, with Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy among the contenders at Oak Hill.

Victor Hovland and Corey Conners were one shot behind at 5 under and had a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau.

Rose and Scotty Scheffler were four shots behind and McIlroy was five shots behind.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who won the last of his four major titles at the 2014 Championship, has often found himself struggling with his swing as well as some miserable course conditions.

The world No. 3 got off to a quick start, birdying two of his first five holes, but three bogeys over the next four holes threatened to derail his round.

However, three birdies on the back nine helped him to a second-straight 69-under 69.

England’s Ross, who won his only major at the U.S. Open a decade ago, also shot a round 69 thanks to a couple of good long putts.

Playing alongside Rose, Southern California club pro Michael Bullock impressed again as he finished another eventful round on par to stay in the top 10 and trail the lead or 6 strokes.

Brutal conditions further increase the difficulty

Saturday’s third round was played in harsh conditions, as torrential rain added another layer of difficulty to Oak Hill’s already poor East Course.

World No. 1 Jon Rahm was among the first to suffer from the flooding, which made the rough harder to escape and reduced tee distances by as much as 100% for those who were precise enough to find their fairways from the tees. 30 yards.

The Spaniard, who won the Masters in April, made six bogeys through the first 10 holes, but birdied the 13th, 14th, a birdie on the 17th, and He made a bogey on the 622-yard par-five fourth hole for a 6-over 72.

Others, including 2005 and 2021 PGA Champion Phil Mickelson, have not been so lucky.

The 52-year-old, who has made a staggering 100 cuts in 119 majors, had a tough day with a birdie-free 75 that took him to the 30th Score 10 over par in the Championship.

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters bucked the trend slightly by birdying four of his first five holes before stepping back and signing for a par 70.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton got the better of it with a 33 on the impressive back nine thanks to birdies on the 12th and 13th holes.

Koepka turns jeers into cheers

Koepka and his partner Bryson DeChambeau were met with boos on the first tee as they dropped the PGA Tour to join the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf setup.

Those jeers, however, gave way to cheers when the 33-year-old made a 47-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.

Koepka, also a two-time U.S. Open winner, spoke openly about “choking” at last month’s Masters when he led eventual champion Jon Rahm by four when his third-round match was suspended due to bad weather. pole.

While he still faces a tough test on Sunday, his form, fitness and willpower will make him a formidable opponent given his talent at the top of the charts.

Back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes showed his strong hitting ability and superb iron play. and the 13th holes paid off as conditions eased.

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