Brooks Koepka could not widen his lead during the third round of the PGA Championship on Saturday at Bethpage Black. However, the defending champion of the PGA Championship didn’t give anything back either.
Koepka managed to hit even-par 70 to give him a 54-hole total of -12 to successfully maintain his phenomenal 7-shot lead ahead of the final round on Sunday, along with his friend Dustin Johnson, Jazz Janewattaanond, Luke List, and Harold Varner III chasing him as the competition’s closest competitors.
Since 1934, in the era of Masters, there has only been a total of 24 times when a golfer managed to take the lead with 5 or more strokes throughout a 54 hole course in a major championship.
There have only been four times when a player failed to hold on to that lead, including Jean Van de Velde during the 1999 Open Championship, Greg Norman during the 1996 Masters, Ed Sneed during the 1979 Masters, and Tom Watson during the 1978 PGA Championship. It’s quite apparent that Koepka will not pull a Van de Velde this time around.
Koepka on the PGA Championship
Koepka recently stated to reporters that he would not give up. He loves the force on the field and will try his best to extend the lead as best he can during the championship. He also stated that it would be nice to make a ten during the final hole. However, he is just going out there to play some good golf and to see how things end up. He will be satisfied if he can have another great game on Sunday before he makes his way home.
Although it’s still too early to place his name on the prestigious Wanamaker Trophy for the 2nd consecutive year, it looks inevitable after the way he played on Saturday. There are loads of reasons to watch the final day of the PGA Championship on Sunday.
Koepka has managed to torch the entire field and has set loads of milestones during the tournament as well. For instance, he will join the list of Best Score to Par on 54 Holes and the list of Players with Multiple U.S Open and PGA Championship Wins.
Who Will Finish Second in the PGA Championship?
There is a total of 15 players on the field that are currently under par on the 54-hole course, and one of them will take second place behind Koepka. However, who will this player be? This is precisely another reason why you should watch the PGA Championship on Sunday. Dustin Johnson believes he has an excellent chance to take second place.
Koepka wasn’t playing at his best on Saturday as he has successive bogeys on both the 9th and 10th hole. However, no other player in the tournament managed to take advantage of this. This makes you think if anyone else will be able to apply the necessary pressure to make Koepka crumble?