Rory McIlroy rises in PGA third round

Rory McIlroy moved into the PGA Championship chase on Saturday with a 4-under-par 66 that pushed him from five shots back at the start of the day into a tie for seventh at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The PGA Championship’s official leaderboard showed McIlroy finishing the third round at 3 under for the tournament, three shots behind leader Alex Smalley at 6 under. PGA Championship and CBS highlight packages posted on May 16 tracked the late charge, including a stretch in which McIlroy briefly shared the lead. Saturday’s move followed a week that had started in the opposite direction. PGA TOUR’s recap said McIlroy opened with a 4-over 76, fell outside the top 100 and then steadied himself with a bogey-free second round before his third-round push. McIlroy told PGA TOUR after the round that he still believed he had “a chance” going into Sunday. (pgachampionship.com) ### How far did McIlroy climb on Saturday? Rory McIlroy began the third round five shots off the lead and ended it tied for seventh at 3 under, according to the official PGA Championship leaderboard. The same leaderboard showed a congested top of the board after 54 holes: Smalley at 6 under, with Matti Schmid, Nick Taylor, Jon Rahm, Aaron Rai and Ludvig Åberg tied for second at 4 under. (pgatour.com) PGA TOUR said McIlroy was one of 14 players within a stroke of the lead as he finished his round on Saturday, before later scores reshaped the board. That left him in range entering the final day despite the poor opening round. ### Which shots defined the round? (pgachampionship.com) PGA TOUR identified the sixth hole as the standout moment of McIlroy’s round. On the 397-yard par-4, McIlroy drove the green, with the tour’s account saying the shot traveled 369 yards from point to point after clearing bunkers more than 315 yards from the tee. (pgatour.com) The third-round package on the PGA Championship site said McIlroy finished 4 under for the day, while TSN’s highlight description said he continued his charge with a 66. PGA TOUR’s round recap said he made six birdies on Saturday. ### What did McIlroy say after the round? (pgatour.com) Rory McIlroy told PGA TOUR that his target on Saturday was to get to 5 under for the tournament and force the leaders to keep making birdies. “I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into tomorrow,” he said after falling short of that mark over the closing holes. (pgachampionship.com) PGA TOUR also reported that McIlroy said earlier criticism of Aronimink’s setup looked different after Saturday’s scoring. The outlet said he had complained on Friday that the course setup kept the leaderboard compressed, then acknowledged after the third round that he had played his way back into contention. (pgatour.com) ### Where did the leaders stand after 54 holes? Alex Smalley held the lead at 6 under after a third-round 68, according to the PGA Championship’s official site. Matti Schmid, Nick Taylor, Jon Rahm, Aaron Rai and Ludvig Åberg were tied for second at 4 under, with McIlroy part of a group at 3 under alongside Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed and Maverick McNealy. (pgatour.com) Golf.com’s final-round pairing report and other Sunday tee-time listings showed how little separation remained. The final group was set to start 30 minutes after McIlroy’s pairing, underscoring how close the leaderboard remained entering the last round. (pgachampionship.com) ### When does McIlroy play next? Rory McIlroy is scheduled to tee off at 2:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 17, with Xander Schauffele in the final round, according to published Round 4 pairings. PGA TOUR said Alex Smalley and Matti Schmid will play in the final group at 2:35 p.m. ET as the 108th PGA Championship concludes at Aronimink. (pgatour.com)