Sensational Scheffler seizes control of US PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler's six-under round of 65 featured an eagle, seven birdies and three bogeys

2025 US PGA Championship third round

-11 Scheffler (US); -8 Noren (Swe); -7 Poston (US), Riley (US); -6 SW Kim (Kor), Rahm (Spa), Vegas (Ven)

Selected others: -5 Bradley (US), DeChambeau (US), Finau (US), Fitzpatrick (Eng), Pavon (Fra); -4 Wallace (Eng); -2 MacIntyre (Sco); +2 McIlroy (NI)

Full leaderboard

World number one Scottie Scheffler stormed into the lead of the US PGA Championship and will take a three-shot advantage into Sunday's final round at Quail Hollow.

The 28-year-old carded a superb round of 65 - playing his final five holes in five under - to end the day on 11 under par for the tournament.

In both 2022 and 2024, Scheffler converted 54-hole leads into victories at the Masters and is in prime position to seal his third major win.

Sweden's Alex Noren holds solo second spot on eight under, making birdies on four of his final five holes to shoot 66.

Spain's Jon Rahm and American Bryson DeChambeau both briefly held the lead before finishing at six under and five under par respectively.

Until Scheffler's late flourish, the top of the leaderboard was tightly contested throughout an enthralling day in North Carolina, with the lead fluctuating wildly and at one stage five players sharing top spot.

Overnight leader Jhonattan Vegas began the day two clear but his advantage was eroded by bogeys on his first two holes and he finished the day five shots back at six under par.

He is alongside two-time major winner Rahm, who thrust himself into contention with a round of 67.

Fellow LIV golfer and perennial major contender DeChambeau celebrated when he seized the outright lead with three holes of his round to play, but the American carded a bogey and a double bogey on his way home to shoot a two-under 69.

At the opposite end of the leaderboard, Masters champion Rory McIlroy shot a one-over 72 to end round three 13 shots off the pace.

Peerless Scheffler leads charge on moving day

The third day of a major is colloquially known as 'moving day', when players position themselves for a Sunday challenge.

Scattered thunderstorms meant the start here was delayed by more than three hours, with play switched to begin from the first and 10th tees and the field of 74 competing in three-balls rather than in groups of two.

The change did not slow down several of golf's star names, but it was Scheffler who surged clear thanks to a stunning finish to his round.

The catalyst was his drive on the 304-yard par-four 14th, which came to rest three feet from the cup. From there, he made an eagle two.

Breathtaking iron play brought birdies on 15 and 17 before he finally closed out Quail Hollow's toughest hole, the 18th, by sinking his 10-foot birdie putt and clenching his fist in satisfaction.

"You work your whole life to have a chance to win major tournaments," said Scheffler. "Tomorrow I have a good opportunity to go out there and try and win but it's going to take another really good round."

In 2024, Scheffler won eight times, but has only one victory so far this season after a freak hand injury at Christmas delayed his season.

That win however did come in his most recent start at the Byron Nelson Classic - and it was by eight shots.

Only four players this century have won the US PGA Championship after coming from three or more behind at the 54-hole stage. With Scheffler in this mood, that feat looks particularly daunting this weekend.

Who could challenge Scheffler?

Bryson DeChambeau has twice won the US Open - in 2020 and 2024 - and finished second at the 2024 US PGA Championship at Valhalla

For a short while, it looked as if a surging DeChambeau - who has finished in at least a tie for sixth spot in four of the past five completed majors - would end the day on top of the pile.

The 2024 US Open champion led at eight under par standing on the 16th tee with five birdies and no bogeys on his card only for his outstanding round to screech to a halt on Quail Hollow's tricky 'Green Mile' final stretch.

A bogey on 16 was compounded when he sent his tee shot into the water and made five on the par-three 17th. That dropped him to five under for the tournament and he scrambled to save a par at the last.

"That's why golf is the worst four-letter word in the world," he joked afterwards.

Instead, it is Noren who leads the pursuit at eight under par. The 42-year-old has only finished in the top 10 twice in 39 previous major appearances but his five-under 66 was the round of the day before Scheffler usurped him.

Noren's showing is all the more remarkable as he only made his first start for more than seven months last week after recovering from a serious hamstring injury.

Alongside DeChambeau in the group six shots off the lead are the United States' Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and England's Matt Fitzpatrick, while fellow Englishman Matt Wallace is one stroke further back at four under.

Rahm roars into contention after ball hits spectator

Only once before have Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler been in the top 10 of a major after 54 holes - when Rahm won the US Open in 2021

Rahm had gained three strokes in his first 10 holes when his approach to the 11th struck a spectator beside the green.

The Spaniard went straight over to check on the crowd member's wellbeing and thankfully he appeared to have escaped injury, with Rahm handing him a signed glove as an apology.

"He took it great and he was a great sport about it," Rahm said.

"I told him that if he had been European and grown up playing football, he could have maybe aimed a little better to get it closer to the hole!"

He was unable to save par there but brilliant second shots at the 14th, 15th and 16th were rewarded with birdies and a tie for the lead - a position he relinquished when he bogeyed the 17th to end the day five back.

Since switching to the LIV Tour at the end of 2023, Rahm's only top-10 finish at a major was seventh at last year's Open.

"Playing worse in majors had nothing to do with where I was playing golf," Rahm said. "My swing was simply not at the level it had to be for me to compete.

"It's easier to post a score on non-major championship courses. When you get to the biggest stages like this one and on these courses, those flaws are going to get exposed, and they did."

"But I'm now getting closer to a position of being comfortable. This week so far, and this round, have been a show of it."

Follow live text updates of Sunday's final round on the BBC Sport website and app from 18:30 BST with radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 20:00