PGA Championship 2017 Leaderboard: Latest Scores and Standings from Sunday

The last major championship of the year is likely to come down to the final three holes.

The PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, has proved to be a challenging course for the field because of its thick Bermuda rough and difficult-to-read greens. The golf course seemed to win the battle on moving day, as top golfers Kevin Kisner and Hideki Matsuyama failed to break par and improve their position.

However, Kisner remained in the lead after the third round, with Matsuyama and Chris Stroud one stroke behind.

The final three holes at Quail Hollow are known as The Green Mile, and those holes nearly ruined Kisner's third round. He had a double bogey on the 16th hole, and it could have been worse on the 18th. His errant shot appeared to be flying toward a water hazard, but the ball hit a bridge and bounced into the rough. He was able to turn that challenging lie into a respectable bogey.

Kisner finished the third round at seven under par. 

"I'm happy I'm in the position I'm in," said Kisner, per Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press (h/t Boston Globe). "I had a chance to run away from guys and take people out of the tournament that were four or five, six back. And I didn't do it. Now I'm in a dogfight [Sunday], and I have to be prepared for that."

Matsuyama is coming off a victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and has enjoyed a brilliant year. He is the PGA Tour's leading money winner and FedEx points leader. However, he was not sharp on Saturday as he finished his round with a two-over-par score of 73.

Matsuyama was able to play the final three holes at even par, but putting problems earlier in the round kept him from bypassing Kisner.

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

Stroud is a remarkable story since he was the last player to gain entry into the PGA Championship field, and he is playing in the final pairing of the day with Kisner. Stroud shot an even-par round of 71 after back-to-back rounds of 68.

Stroud earned his spot at Quail Hollow with a victory in the Barracuda Championship, and he is playing with more confidence than he has ever had in his career. 

"I know all these guys are going to be super nervous," Stroud said, per Luke Kerr-Dineen of USA Today. "I'm sure I will be, too. But like I said, last week just gave me an unbelievable sense of calm. I've never felt so relaxed on the golf course and I think it's a lot of reason why I'm playing so well."

If Stroud finds himself in the lead or close to it on the back nine of the final round, controlling his emotions will be a challenge.

Veteran Louis Oosthuizen may be best equipped to play a complete final round and make a strong run at the Wanamaker Trophy that goes to the tournament winner. Oosthuizen has a major title under his belt, having won the 2010 British Open, and he has regularly been a contender in important tournaments all over the world.

The South African's plan is to stay calm and take what the golf course gives him.

"It's the type of golf course you don't have to go out and make birdies. You just need to keep everything together," Oosthuizen said, per Ferguson.

While early indications made it look like the golfers will have an opportunity to score better in the final round than they did on moving day, it will still be important to stay calm on the crucial holes.

The Green Mile will be the most difficult challenge, and Oosthuizen appears to be in an excellent position to handle that task better than anyone else.