Surprise European player leading Scottie Scheffler chase in 107th PGA

Scottie Scheffler has a surprise European contender on his tail heading into the final round of the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.

The world No 1 is on course to underline his position as the game’s dominant after playing the last five holes in Saturday’s penultimate circuit in five under par.

In doing so, he opened up a three-shot lead in his bid to add a Wanamaker Trophy to the Green Jackets he claimed when winning the Masters in both 2022 and 2024.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler reacts on the 18th green after a closing birdie in the third round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina | Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Having triumphed by eight shots in his most recent outing on the PGA Tour, it’s difficult to see Scheffler being caught on the closing day and the man leading the chase shouldn’t really be close to the top of the leaderboard.

Swede Alex Noren, after all, had only played four competitive rounds in seven months coming into the season’s second major due to injury, but is now in the hunt for a maiden major win.

Two-time major champion Jon Rahm sits five shots off the lead after rediscovering his mojo in the marquee events, with 2022 US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon both in a group on five under.

However, it’s Scheffler who is in the driving seat in the event that saw him arrested on his way to the course at Valhalla 12 months ago for motoring offences.

“I executed really well,” said Scheffler of his finish, which included an eagle from three feet on the par-4 14th. “Pretty much after hole 11 I feel like I hit a lot of really good shots.

“[On] 13 I got a weird wind gust and then hit a poor bunker shot, but outside of that, I felt like I executed really well on the back nine and hit the shots that I was trying to hit and was able to get some results from those.

“Birdieing the last two was definitely two extra shots. I mean, I would assume those holes are playing over par, and so I definitely stole a couple shots there, and it was nice momentum towards the end of the round.”

Swede Alex Noren in action during the third round of the PGA Championship in North Carolina | Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Scheffler would move halfway towards a career grand slam if he won this event and, at just 28, he looks to have a great chance of going on to complete the full set, just as Rory McIlroy did when winning the Masters last month.

“It would mean a lot,” admitted Scheffler, who had made a slow start to the year after requiring surgery on his hand following a mishap with a broken glass but is now beginning to build up a head of steam.

Alex Noren fortunate to be in ‘this position this early’

“These tournaments are very important to us, and you work your whole life to have a chance to win major tournaments, any tournament for that matter, and tomorrow I have a good opportunity to go out there and try and win the golf tournament.

“But it's going to take another really good round. There's a lot of great players chasing me on the leaderboard and someone is going to put up a great round and it's up to me to go out there and have another really good round and finish off the tournament. Looking forward to the challenge.”

Bob MacIntyre got off to a slow start to his third round and slipped outside the top 20 | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

This is Noren’s 40th major appearance, with his best effort so far having been a tie for sixth in The Open in 2017. “It was a lot easier to have this break when I'm 42 than when I was younger,” he said of being sidelined for four months due to a tendon injury in his hamstring.

Bob MacIntyre sits just outside top 20

“As soon as I kind of could play, I thought I was in sort of the same form I was in before I got injured. But I'm still extremely fortunate to be in this position this early, yeah.”

After a third-round 73 that included three bogeys in the first four holes then one to finish - Bob MacIntyre sits joint-23rd on two under, four ahead of McIlroy.