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Mito Pereira will take a three-shot lead into the final day of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills after overcoming a shaky turn to surge out in front on Saturday. Pereira birdied the last to card a 69 and remain ahead of overnight leader Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick, who put himself into contention after shooting an excellent 67.
Rory McIlroy’s bid to end his major drought suffered a significant early blow, however. After a run of five straight pars, McIlroy pulled his tee shot to the par-three sixth into the water and ran up a double-bogey five to drop back to two under par. It would be followed by a triple-bogey six and although a run of birdies helped, McIlroy then dropped a further shot at the 18th to finish the day at level par overall.
Earlier in the day, Tiger Woods recorded his worst ever score in the PGA Championship as a successful battle to make the cut took a heavy toll at Southern Hills. Woods shot 79, his previous worst score in the US PGA being a 77 in the first round in 2011. “I just didn’t play well,” Woods said. “I didn’t hit the ball very well and got off to not the start I needed to get off to. I thought I hit a good tee shot down two and ended up in the water, and just never really got any kind of momentum on my side.”
It was confirmed after the conclusion of the third day that Woods had withdrawn from the tournament and the 46-year-old will not play in the fourth round.
Follow all the action on what promises to be an intriguing final day, below:
Playoff: 18th hole
One more hole to go. It’s the 18th and it’s a tricky customer. Par for JT here may be enough to see him lift the trophy.
Will Zalatoris needs to pick up a shot. He may have to be the more adventurous off the tee.
Michael Jones23 May 2022 00:22
Playoff: 17th hole
A misread from Zalatoris sees him slide his birdie effort along the right edge of the hole. It goes by and he knocks it in for a par.
Thomas has the chance to go ahead, can he take it?
Michael Jones23 May 2022 00:21
Playoff: 17th hole
Not bad. Zalatoris has a tricky chip over the bunker and his main problem is getting the ball to stop. He leaves himself a seven to eight footer for a birdie.
Justin Thomas has to navigate most of the green for an eagle and does brilliantly to leave it a couple of feet shy of the hole.
Who’s going to blink first?
Michael Jones23 May 2022 00:20
Playoff: 17th hole
Over to the par-4 17th then. Justin Thomas is first to tee off again. The green is drivable here but will he take it on?
He’s got the 3-wood out and bombs it left-to-right. He carries it over the water, over the bunkers and onto the green! Eagle putt incoming.
Can Will Zalatoris match him?
He sets his tee shot off further to the right and is lucky to avoid the bunkers. He’ll have a to chip one onto the green. A birdie may still be good enough for him here. Can he get it up and down?
Michael Jones23 May 2022 00:14
Playoff: 13th hole
Birdies all round. Zalatoris’ putt is a cracker and he leaves it six inches from the hole for a tap-in birdie.
That puts the pressure on Justin Thomas who still has a bit of work to do to finish off this hole. He sets it of inside the left edge and watches it drop.
Michael Jones23 May 2022 00:09
Playoff: 13th hole
Oh stop it. 79-yards left for Justin Thomas and he takes an easy back lift before flicking the ball to within five/six feet for a birdie.
Can Zalatoris knock in his eagle putt?
Michael Jones23 May 2022 00:06
Playoff: 13th hole
Justin Thomas lays up just short of the green with his second stroke and will be looking to knock it in close and pick up a birdie. Will Zalatoris takes out the 6-iron and hits a looping right to left draw that lands on the green and finishes about 20-feet away. He’ll have a putt for eagle.
Michael Jones23 May 2022 00:04
Playoff: 13th hole
Justin Thomas tees off first and finds himself in the rough over to the right. Will Zalatoris smokes his drive into the middle of the fairway.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 23:58
Thomas and Zalatoris in three-hole playoff
So, to decide the 2022 PGA Champion Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris will compete in a three hole play-off on 13, 17 and 18.
That’s a par-5, a drivable par-4 and the tricky par-4 18th.
Justin Thomas probably has the edge due to his experience but Zalatoris has looked good all week. Can he put it another three great holes?
Michael Jones22 May 2022 23:55
Missed! Double bogey for Pereira
A nightmare hole for Chile’s Mito Pereira. He makes a double bogey six on the last to drop from first to third place. He misses out on a play-off and only two men remain.
Matt Fitzpatrick makes a final par for a round of 73 but the focus moves back to Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.
One of them will be the PGA Champion.
Michael Jones22 May 2022 23:50
