PGA Championship 2023: 3 Instant Reactions to Saturday Leaderboard Scores
It was an ugly, rainy day at Oak Hill on Saturday for the third round of the 2023 PGA Championship.
But it nonetheless led to an exciting day of action on the golf course that resulted in a pretty big shakeup in the leaderboard.
After there was a three-way tie between Corey Conners, Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler following Friday's play, Brooks Koepka took sole possession of the top spot going into the final day with a -6.
He is trailed closely by Hovland (-5), Conners (-5) and Bryson DeChambeau (-3), making for a what should be an incredible championship round of golf Sunday in the second major of the calendar year.
There are also a couple more big names hanging around the edges of contention like Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who sits in seventh place.
But while there were plenty of climbers, major winners like John Rahm and Scheffler struggled mightily. Saturday was perhaps one of Scheffler's worst performances in sometime as he shot 73 for the day.
Yet, he is still somehow tied for fifth place.
With the way thing played out Saturday, there is sure to be no shortage of storylines for the final day of the tournament.
The full leaderboard can be found at PGAchampionship.com
Saturday Leaderboard Sets Up LIV vs. PGA Tour Drama
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Since 2023 became the first year that LIV Golf and PGA Tour members have been able to compete against one another in majors, the two sides have perhaps never been as tightly contested as in this tournament.
With Conners, Hovland, Koepka and DeChambeau making up the top four, the two tours have two members apiece firmly in the mix for a major title on Sunday. It could lead to some fireworks.
There have been numerous PGA members that have been outspoken about their feelings towards LIV, especially McIlroy, who is also in contention.
It's been an ongoing saga for the past year as McIlroy has been very critical of players who left the PGA en lieu of chasing a bigger payday with LIV, which is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
The drama is especially prevalent with this particular leaderboard as Conners went on record last year saying he has no interest in making the switch over to LIV.
"No, not really. Life's so good on the PGA Tour, I'm really happy," Conners said. "I want to play in events like the RBC Canadian Open, the feeling of playing there is absolutely incredible and you're certainly giving a lot up if going there so it's never really been on my mind. I'm intrigued by what's happening and I can't blame some of the guys for going, but it's not right for me."
With two guys in contention though, LIV golf has an incredible opportunity to make a huge statement with a win at the major who's namesake banned its players from participating in PGA events.
Scottie Scheffler Among Big Names Struggling on Rainy Day
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The weather definitely made it a less than pleasant day in western New York on Saturday as strong showers came and went throughout most of the afternoon.
And some big names struggled mightily because of it, especially the top two players in the world in Rahm and Scheffler.
Scheffler, the No. 2 ranked player on the planet, was tied for the lead after Friday but just couldn't seem to put it all together on the third day, especially over the middle-third of the golf course.
He'd need a really strong performance on Sunday if he's going to have any chance at winning another major, but he's given himself a decent enough shot.
And considering his performance Saturday, he'll be grateful for that.
As for Rahm, who won the Masters a little over a month ago and took over the No. 1 spot, this just hasn't been his tournament at all.
He barely survived the cut Friday and the weather really didn't help his game as it led to more frustration. He shot a 72 and ended the day tied for 42nd place, well below the high standard he's set for himself over the past few years.
"It's frustrating," Rahm said after Saturday's round. "I feel like I'm making good swings and nothing is happening."
Brooks Koepka Remains a Force at Majors
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For the second time this year, Koepka is lurking dangerously at the top of the leaderboard going into the final day of a major. He had another incredible day battling the elements as he shot 66 for a second-consecutive round.
He's looking a lot more like the titan of power that dominated the golf world just a few years ago.
But he's been in this position before, very recently in fact, and wasn't able to finish it off.
Koepka was the leader for the majority of the Masters back in April and held a fairly strong lead going into the final day at Augusta National. He had several key mistakes down the stretch, however, and ultimately finished second behind Rahm by four strokes.
The pressure will be on him again after he flew up the board Saturday. He sank some clutch putts over the back nine as he surpassed Conners and Hovland en route to the top spot.
It must've also have been sweeter as Koepka out dueled DeChambeau, his fellow LIV competitor and one of his biggest rivals as the two were partnered up together.
Koepka, who has won the PGA two times before in 2018 and 2019, knows that he's fallen short in these positions in the past and plans on playing a much cleaner game Sunday.
He will be looking for his fifth major championship on Sunday.
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