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Mito Pereira will take a three-shot lead on the final day of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills after overcoming a shaky corner to take the lead on Saturday. Pereira beat the last 69 card and stayed ahead of the overnight leader Will Zalatores and Matthew Fitzpatrick, who put himself in contention with his excellent 67th shot.
Rory McIlroy’s attempt to end his major drought suffered a major early blow. After a streak of five straight pars, McIlroy pulled his tee shot to third in the water and ran a five-double bogey to drop again to two sub-par. A triple bogey would follow him and although a string of birds helped, McIlroy then dropped another shot on the 18th to finish the day overall.
Earlier in the day, Tiger Woods recorded his worst result ever in the PGA Championship as a successful fight to make the cut took heavy losses at Southern Hills. Woods hit 79, his previous worst result in the US PGA being 77 in the first round in 2011. “I didn’t play well,” Woods said. “I didn’t hit the ball very well and came down so I didn’t need to start. I thought I hit a good starting point I dropped two and ended up in the water, not getting any kind of momentum on my part.”
After the end of the third day, he confirmed that Woods had withdrawn from the tournament and that the 46-year-old would not participate in the fourth round.
Follow all the action on what promises to be one last, intriguing day, below:
Playoff: Hole 17
Down to par-4 17 then. Justin Thomas is the first to start playing again. The green is drivable here but will he take it?
He got the third wood and pounded it from left to right. Carry it over water, over bunkers and on green! The incoming eagle hit.
Can Zalatoris stand up to it?
He puts his tee to the right and is lucky to avoid bunkers. He will have to cut one on the green. Altaïr might still be good enough for him here. Can he raise and lower it?
Michael JonesMay 23 2022 00:14
Playoff: The Thirteenth Hole
Birds in all respects. Hitting Zalatoris is a cracker and leaves it six inches from the hole for tap birds.
This puts pressure on Justin Thomas who still has a bit of work to finish this hole. He puts it inside the left edge and watches it fall.
Michael JonesMay 23 2022 00:09
Playoff: The Thirteenth Hole
Oh stop. He stayed 79 yards for Justin Thomas and took an easy back lift before directing the ball to five/six feet for a birdie.
Can Zlatori knock in an eagle strike?
Michael JonesMay 23 2022 00:06
Playoff: The Thirteenth Hole
Justin Thomas puts a short distance out of the green with a second hit and will be looking to hit him up close and catch a birdie. Will Zalatoris takes out the six iron and hits the right-to-left winding clouds that lands on the green and finishes about 20 feet away. He will have a blow to the eagle.
Michael JonesMay 23 2022 00:04
Playoff: The Thirteenth Hole
Justin Thomas first started to find himself in a bind to the right. Will Zlatoris smokes his drive in the middle of the lane.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 23:58
Thomas and Zalatores in a three-hole playoff
Therefore, to determine the 2022 PGA Champion, Justin Thomas and Will Xalatores will compete in a three-hole playoff on 13, 17 and 18.
This is par-5, driving par-4 and hard par-4 18.
Justin Thomas will probably have the advantage due to his experience but Zalatoris has looked good all week. Can he put it in three more big holes?
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 23:55
is missing! Double ghost of Pereira
Terrifying hole for Mito Pereira in Chile. He made a double bogey in six in the latter to go down from first to third. He missed a playoff and only had two men left.
Matt Fitzpatrick reaches the final tie in the Round of 73 but the focus is back on Justin Thomas and Will Xalatores.
One of them will be the PGA Champion.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 23:50
That must be
Pereira hits his fourth shot on 18 from behind from the other side of the green and has one last chance to reach the playoff. He will be able to shoot from there but is unlikely to come in.
If the adrenaline drops, he will likely carry it through the playoff to the cup.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 23:45
Pereira is in trouble
Justin Thomas moved to the range to unleash once again. He’ll be out with Will Xalatores unless Mito Pereira can shoot from the green.
After a shot, the third was pushed to the left side of the dance floor and away from the hole. If he can get up and down from there though he’ll make it to a playoff.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 23:42
Zlatoris Pars 18
A big throw from Will Zalatoris sends him to the club with the same score as Justin Thomas. Looks like they’re headed to a playoff unless Mito Pereira can pull a rabbit out of the hat.
Michael JonesMay 22 2022 23:38
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