Smalley takes 54-hole lead at PGA Championship, 6-under at Aronimink

Alex Smalley goes into Sunday with the lead at the PGA Championship, but the tournament is still crowded enough that almost every hour of the final round matters. The 29-year-old American reached 6-under par after a third-round 68 on Saturday at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, according to NBC Sports and CBS Sports. Matti Schmid is two shots back, and a large group of established contenders remains close enough to change the leaderboard quickly. NBC Sports reported that 21 players were within four shots of the lead entering Sunday. ### How did Smalley get to the top of the board? Alex Smalley recovered from a poor start on Saturday to post the round that gave him sole possession of the 54-hole lead. NBC Sports said Smalley opened with three bogeys before settling down and finishing with a 68. He told NBC Sports that the wind had picked up by the time he teed off and made it difficult “to hit a fairway, hit a green, even make a three- or four-footer.” (nbcsports.com) The back nine changed his day. NBC Sports said Smalley made five birdies and one bogey over that stretch, and finished the day as the only player in the field to shoot all three rounds under par. ### Why is this leaderboard still so unsettled? NBC Sports and CBS Sports both described the final round setup as tightly packed rather than controlled by one player. (nbcsports.com) Smalley’s advantage is two shots, but CBS Sports said the final round begins with “many stars close to the lead,” while NBC Sports said 21 players were within four shots. That leaves several recognizable names in range. CBS Sports listed Jon Rahm, Nick Taylor, Ludvig Åberg, Aaron Rai, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele among the later starters, with defending champion Scottie Scheffler also positioned to make a move from an earlier tee time. ### Who is Smalley chasing in his own career? (cbssports.com) Smalley has not yet won on the PGA Tour, according to NBC Sports, which also said he has never won a major championship and entered the week ranked 78th in the world. That makes Sunday a chance for a breakthrough on the biggest stage he has faced as a professional. (cbssports.com) Recent form suggests he did not arrive by accident. NBC Sports reported that Smalley had not finished worse than tied for 21st in his previous five starts. Smalley told the outlet that being followed by more cameras and attention has started to feel more familiar because he has been playing well in recent weeks. (nbcsports.com) ### Which pairings matter most on Sunday? Alex Smalley will play in the final pairing with Matti Schmid at 2:35 p.m. Eastern, CBS Sports reported. Schmid, who shot 65 on Saturday, is the closest pursuer named in the final group. The penultimate pairing is Jon Rahm with Nick Taylor at 2:25 p.m. Eastern. (nbcsports.com) One group earlier, Ludvig Åberg and Aaron Rai are scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Eastern. CBS Sports called the 2:05 p.m. pairing of Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele the marquee group among the chasers. Scottie Scheffler starts earlier than those groups. (cbssports.com) CBS Sports said the defending champion is set to tee off 2.5 hours before the final pairing, giving him a chance to post a score before the leaders reach the closing holes. ### What is the simplest way to read Sunday’s stakes? The clearest fact is the score: Smalley begins the final round at 6-under par with a two-shot lead. (cbssports.com) The next clearest fact is the traffic behind him: NBC Sports said 21 players were within four shots, and CBS Sports’ Sunday pairings show multiple major champions and recent contenders stacked into the late afternoon tee times. Sunday’s final round at Aronimink ends with Smalley and Schmid off at 2:35 p.m. Eastern, Rahm and Taylor at 2:25 p.m., Åberg and Rai at 2:15 p.m., and McIlroy with Schauffele at 2:05 p.m., according to CBS Sports. (cbssports.com) (nbcsports.com)