Alex Smalley has a two-stroke lead at the PGA Championship after carding a two-under 68 in round three, putting him at eight under for the tournament. The 27-year-old American survived a nightmare start—three bogeys in his first five holes—before turning it around with seven birdies over the rest of the round. His resilience leaves him two ahead of a five-way tie for second, where Ryder Cup teammates Jon Rahm and Ludvig Åberg sit alongside Justin Rose, Aaron Rai, and Maverick McNealy. Rahm, the world No. 3, is playing his best golf when it matters most. He’s now two back after a round of 66 that included six birdies and a single bogey. “I’m happy with how I’m playing,” Rahm said after his round. “The putter’s been good, the iron play’s been solid. I just need to keep doing that.”

Rory McIlroy is three behind Smalley after a round that mirrored his season-long struggles with the putter. The world No. 2 started hot with birdies at the 11th and 13th holes but bogeyed the 17th to fall three back. “I climbed my way out of that hole a little bit,” McIlroy admitted, though he downplayed his chances. “I’ve got no illusions about how hard it is to win this thing from here.” His mixed round of 69 leaves him at three under, tied with Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed, and Nick Taylor. McIlroy hasn’t won a major since the 2023 PGA Championship, and a second straight victory would tie him with Jack Nicklaus for the most in PGA history.

The cut-thin leaderboard: 14 players held the lead at some point

Saturday was chaos. A brutal wind and firm pins turned Baltusrol Golf Club into a scoring nightmare, yet 14 different players held at least a share of the lead at some point during the round. Just five strokes separated the top 30 players heading into Sunday, making it one of the most bunched leaderboards in major championship history. Chris Kirk nearly tied the lowest round in men’s major history before a double bogey at the 17th derailed his charge. His 65 left him tied for third, two back. Rose chipped in for eagle on Friday to make the cut, then fired a six-under 64 Saturday to sit two under. “I wasn’t thinking about the cut,” Rose said. “I was just trying to make something happen.”

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is five back after back-to-back 71s left him frustrated. “I feel like I’m hitting it well,” Scheffler said after his round. “It’s just not going in the right spots.” The PGA is the third major Scheffler has played this year, and his early struggles raise questions about his form heading into the U.S. Open next month. Aaron Rai, meanwhile, is one behind Smalley and could become the first English winner of the PGA since Harry Vardon in 1919. The 31-year-old has quietly been one of the most consistent players on tour this year, and a win would be a huge boost for English golf.

Sunday’s final round: Who can stop Smalley?

Smalley’s lead isn’t huge, but it’s meaningful in a tournament where the leaderboard has been a revolving door. His biggest challenge won’t just be McIlroy or Rahm—it’ll be staying patient. “I’m just trying to keep it simple,” Smalley said after his round. “I know the putter’s going to be hot one day, and I’m trying to be ready for it.” The final pairing will tee off at 4:00pm BST on Sky Sports Golf, with Smalley going out in the last group. If he can avoid the kind of late collapse that’s haunted so many leaders this week, he’ll walk away with his first major championship. If not, the race is wide open—just like it’s been all week.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: Sky Sports
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 00:00 UTC
  • Category: Sports
  • Topics: #sky-sports · #football · #premier-league · #sports · #golf · #ilroy

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

O sonho de erguer o troféu do PGA Championship pela primeira vez na carreira está ao alcance de Alex Smalley, um nome ainda pouco conhecido no cenário do golfe mundial, mas que tem a chance de entrar para a história neste domingo. Enquanto gigantes como Rory McIlroy e Jon Rahm chegam fortes no chasing pack, o estadunidense de 28 anos abre duas tacadas de vantagem após três rodadas no Southern Hills, nos Estados Unidos, e pode faturar seu primeiro grande título mesmo sem nunca ter vencido um torneio do circuito PGA.

A façanha de Smalley não apenas surpreende pelo ineditismo, mas também carrega um simbolismo especial para o Brasil e os fãs de golfe que acompanham a modalidade por aqui. Embora o país não tenha tradição no esporte, a crescente popularidade de atletas como Thiago Monteiro no tênis e a participação de brasileiros em competições internacionais vêm alimentando o interesse local por outras modalidades, e o PGA Championship é um dos palcos mais cobiçados. Além disso, a presença de McIlroy e Rahm — dois dos maiores nomes do golfe moderno — garante atenção global, mas a liderança inesperada de um desconhecido reacende a emoção de um torneio que pode reservar mais uma zebra.

Se Smalley confirmar o favoritismo e erguer o título, não só entrará para a elite do golfe como também provará que o circuito PGA ainda reserva surpresas capazes de emocionar até os mais céticos.