Smalley Takes Two-Shot Lead Into Final Round at US PGA Championship
Smalley Takes Two-Shot Lead Into Final Round at US PGA Championship
Underdog Alex Smalley holds a two-shot cushion at six under as a crowded field eyes the final round in Philadelphia.
Alex Smalley, a 29-year-old from North Carolina who has never won a pro tournament, sits atop the leaderboard at six under after a round of 68. He holds a two-shot edge over a five-way pack of pursuers who will chase him in Sunday’s final round at Aronimink.
The leaderboard is packed and unpredictable, with 21 players within four shots of the lead. Ian Rahm is in the group closest behind him on four under, while Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed sit just one stroke back from Rahm, keeping the pressure on Smalley as the drama builds toward the finale.
Further back, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Cameron Smith and Hideki Matsuyama are grouped at two under, and even Scottie Scheffler, whose flat putting has cost him chances, remains five back. It’s a remarkably congested major leaderboard, a scene Smalley himself called unprecedented as he heads into a final round that will be watched by a city rooting for the unlikely hero.
Smalley is the 54-hole leader for the first time in his professional career, a milestone that brings both excitement and nerves as he looks to convert the lead on a demanding Aronimink layout. With a bevy of major champions in the mix, Sunday promises a compelling chase and a test of temperament for the young Texan-born golfer.
