US PGA Championship: Dustin Johnson leads, Koepka ramps pressure, final round tee times

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Dustin Johnson leads the US PGA Championship from Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Champ. Brendon Todd co-leads the US PGA Championship.

Dustin Johnson leads the US PGA Championship from Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Champ.

Dustin Johnson holds the 54-hole lead at the US PGA Championship, but 19 players are within five shots heading into the final round at TPC Harding Park.

Johnson shot an equal best-of-the-day 65 (-5) to move to nine-under par, a shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Champ as he looks to add the PGA Championship to his 2016 US Open win.

The former World No.1 made eight birdies, a personal record in a Major round, as he moved into pole position to add the PGA Championship to his 2016 US Open win.

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Scheffler matched DJ’s score as he looks to become the first player to win on their US PGA debut since Keegan Bradley in 2012, while Champ shot 67 (-3) as he bids for his maiden Major. 

It’s the fourth time DJ has held the 54-hole lead in a Major after the 2010, 2015 and 2018 US Opens. He has failed to convert those leads to victory on the previous three occassions. Failure to do so again would see Johnson become the first player in history to blow their first four, a thought that hasn’t crossed the 36-year-old’s mind.

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“I have experience in this situation that definitely will help tomorrow,” Johnson said.

“I’ve been in the hunt a bunch of times in a Major. I’ve got one Major, so having that experience is definitely going to be beneficial.”

Brooks Koepka bounced back from a distastrous 45 minutes to keep his hopes of winning three US PGA Championship titles in a row alive.

Brooks Koepka is in shape to win a third US PGA Championship in a row.

The four time Major champion bogeyed holes 13, 14 and 15 before producing a 3-3-3, birdie, par, birdie finish to sit just two shots back at seven-under and he quickly ramped up the pressure on those above him.

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“I feel like I’m right there. I just need a solid round. A lot of guys on the leaderboard I don’t think have won, I guess DJ’s only won one, but I don’t know the other guys that are up there,” Koepka said.

“A lot of experience is what I can bring to it, I’ve been in this position a lot of times the last couple of years.”

In-form Collin Morikawa.

Koepka sits T4 with the in-form Collin Morikawa who birdied three of the final four holes to shoot 65 (-5), and England’s Paul Casey, who parred his way through the back-nine for a 68 to leave himself in excellent shape to break his Major duck at TPC Harding Park.

Related: WITB Collin Morikawa

Bryson DeChambeau enjoyed an excellent moving day at Harding Park.

Ryder Cup teammates Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau enjoyed an excellent “moving day”, rounds of 66 and 67 respectively leaving the big-hitting American duo within three shots of Dustin Johnson.

Related: Bryson DeChambeau is the monster golf created

They’re joined by Justin Rose, who overcame a nightmare bogey-bogey start to finish level par for the day, fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who birdied two of the final three holes to match Rose’s 70, Jason Day and Daniel Berger. 

Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose are in the hunt at the US PGA Championship.

Overnight leader HaoTong Li is four off the pace after a third-round 73 (+3), alongside Joel Dahmen, former Players champion Si Woo Kim, Matthew Wolff and Xander Schauffele.

Hideki Matsuyama, Bernd Wiesberger and Mike-Lorenzo Vera are all four-under for the tournament, just five shots off the lead.

European Ryder Cup start Ian Poulter enjoyed an excellent day, 66 blows moving the Englishman to within six of DJ in a group that includes Webb Simpson, Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.

Rory McIlroy’s hopes of ending his Major drought look over for this tournament, the Northern Irishman stumbling to a 71 (+1), leaving him level overall, while Tiger Woods endured another frustrating day with the putter as he signed for a 72, leaving him two-over for the week.

Jordan Spieth Career Grand Slam hopes took a blow.

Jordan Spieth’s hopes of completing the Career Grand Slam will need to wait for another year as his poor form continued. Only a birdie at the 18th ensured the Texan wasn’t propping up the leaderboard alone as he endured a miserable day alongside close friend Justin Thomas. Spieth shot 76 (+6) to sit seven-over for the week with Sung Kang.

The final round gets underway at 3pm with leader Dustin Johnson off with Scottie Scheffler at 9.50pm UK time. Live coverage begins at 6pm on Sky Sports Golf and 7pm on Sky Sports Main Event.

US PGA Championship tee times

Round Four

3pm: Sung Kang

3.10pm: Jordan Spieth, Ryan Palmer

3.20pm: Chez Reavie, JT Poston

3.30pm: Erik Van Rooyen, Matt Wallace

3.40pm: Danny Lee, Robert MacIntyre

3.50pm: Adam Long, Bubba Watson

4pm: Joost Luiten, Rory Sabbatini

4.10pm: Kevin Streelman, Viktor Hovland

4.20pm: Jim Herman, Gary Woodland

4.30pm: Tiger Woods, Tom Hoge

4.40pm: Sepp Straka, Byeong Hun An

4.50pm: Billy Horschel, Abraham Ancer

5pm: Phil MIckelson Russell Henley

5.10pm: Luke List, Mark Hubbard

5.20pm: Bud Cauley, Louis Oosthuizen

5.30pm: Brian Harman, Brandt Snedeker

5.50pm: Kurt Kitayama, Rory McIlroy

6pm: Doc Redman, Emiliano Grillo

6.10pm: Mackenzie Hughes, Cameron Smith

6.20pm: Brendan Steele, Alex Noren

6.30pm: Denny McCarthy, Adam Hadwin

6.40pm: Shane Lowry, Nate Lashley

6.50pm: Justin Thomas, Harris English

7pm: Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel

7.10pm: Kevin Kisner, Victor Perez

7.20pm: Brendon Todd, Keith Mitchell

7.30pm: Dylan Frittelli, Lanto Griffin

7.40pm: Patrick Reed, Harold Varner III

7.50pm: Webb Simpson, Jon Rahm

8pm: Patrick Cantlay, Ian Poulter

8.10pm: Bernd Wiesberger, Mike Lorenzo-Vera

8.20pm: Haotong Li, Hideki Matsuyama

8.40pm: Matthew Wolff, Xander Schauffele

8.50pm: Joel Dahmen, Si Woo Kim

9.00pm: Daniel Berger, Tommy Fleetwood

9.10pm: Justin Rose, Jason Day

9.20pm: Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau

9.30pm: Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka

9.40pm: Cameron Champ, Collin Morikawa

9.50pm: Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler

US PGA Championship: The story of round two

Haotong Li enjoyed a welcome return to form in the US PGA Championship second round, shooting a five-under 65 at TPC Harding Park to lead the way at eight-under. The Chinese star’s T18 finish at The Oman Open is his best finish to date in 2020.

Tommy Fleetwood’s six-under 64 was the joint best round of the week and leaves him two back of Li ahead of moving day. The pair go out at 11pm UK time.

The Englishman is one of six men in a tie for second, joined by defending US PGA champion Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Daniel Berger and Mike Lorenzo-Vera.

Brooks Koepka gets medical treatment on the 12th hole.

Despite requiring physion treatment on the 12th hole, Koepka downplayed any injury fears post-round,

“It was my hip,” Koepka said. “It’s fine, I woke up this morning, it was tight, and worked out and it got even tighter and then we loosened it up.

“It was a little tight when I was hitting balls on the range but it’s nothing to be worried about. We’ll loosen it up again and it will be a lot better.”

Cameron Champ matched Fleetwood’s 64 to sit a shot further back, with Paul Casey and Brendon Todd joining him in a tie for 8th.

Tiger Woods’ hopes of Major No.16 suffered a blow as an ice-cold putter saw him stumble to a 72, leaving him eight shots adrift. Rory McIlroy is seven back as a 69  (-1) left the Northern Irishman needing a big moving day in his bid for a first Major since 2014.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy tee off at 9.58pm.

McIlroy drew praise after giving himself a worse lie in TPC Harding Park’s greenside rough early in round two after a reporter stood on his ball. Despite being given a free drop, the four-time Major champion felt he’d gained an improved position, pushing it further into the rough and going on to make a bogey.

Martin Kaymer and Zach Johnson entered the day just a shot off US PGA Championship lead but neither of the two-time Major champions will be around for the weekend after disastrous rounds of 82 and 76 respectively.

Martin Kaymer and Zach Johnson had disastrous days.

Rickie Fowler will also miss the weekend. The American’s casual attempt at a tap-in backfired as he moved the six-inch putt but millimetres… he missed the one-over cut line by a single shot.

Rickie Fowler missed the cut after a putting disaster.

Jordan Spieth found some form to shoot 68 and make the weekend as he bids to complete the Career Grand Slam. He plays with World no.1 and good friend Justin Thomas in round three.

Cameron Tringale looked in good shape for the weekend before being disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

The third round gets underway at 4.10pm, with leader HaoTong Li out with Tommy Fleetwood at 11pm.

US PGA Championship: The story of round one

Jason Day is tied for the lead after an action packed opening round of the US PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park that saw Bryson DeChambeau break his Cobra Speedzone driver.

Jason Day co-leads the PGA Championship.

Australian Day, who won the championship in 2015, shot a morning 65 (-5) and shares the lead with in-form Brendon Todd. It’s the first time the American has ever held a Major lead.

Brendon Todd co-leads the US PGA Championship.

On a crowded leaderboard, defending champion Brooks Koepka is one of nine players just a shot back as he goes for his third consecutive title.

Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, Zach Johnson and Martin Kaymer are also among that group. Kaymer was in inspired form after spending Wednesday night watching a YouTube video of his dominant US Open victory from 2014. 

47 players managed to go under par in the opening round, including Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry, Adam Scott and Paul Casey, who all shot two-under-par 68s.

Despite the cold temperatures and predictions that he would struggle, Woods led the field for US PGA Championship field for driving distance.

Bryson DeChambeau led the field for broken drivers after his Cobra Speedzone Drive snapped at the shaft after his tee shot on the 7th hole. Fortunately for the big-hitting American he was allowed to replace it.

Related: Cobra Speedzone driver review

Bryson DeChambeau broke his driver at the PGA Championship.

DeChambeau was the butt of another not-so-subtle post-round dig from Brooks Koepka who told reporters: “At the end of the day I feel good, I’m playing good. There’s no reason to be scientific with all the numbers and stuff like that on TrackMan, just go out and go play.”

Brooks Koepka switched to a TaylorMade M5 driver.

Koepka tweaked his bag ahead of the tournament, switching out his Callaway Mavrik driver for a TaylorMade M5 – not that he was keen to discuss it.”They don’t pay me, so I’m not mentioning their name,” the defending champ smiled.

Jordan Spieth’s bid to complete the Career Grand Slam got off to a disappointing start, the Texan shooting a 73 (+3), while the world’s top two players, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm, made quiet starts, finishing one-over and level respectively. 

In one of the day’s oddest stories (until Bryson’s driver), Zach Johnson both led and propped up the US PGA Championship leaderboard at the same time. Two-time Major champion Zach Johnson was leading, finishing the day in T3 at four-under, while PGA Pro Zach J. Johnson was enjoying a less successful day at 12-over.

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