Alex Smalley leads PGA at 6‑under

Alex Smalley will start Sunday with the lead at the PGA Championship, but the margin is small and the leaderboard is crowded. The 29-year-old American shot 68 in the third round on Saturday at Aronimink Golf Club to get to 6-under 204, according to the PGA Championship’s official report. Five players — Aaron Rai, Jon Rahm, Matti Schmid, Nick Taylor and Ludvig Åberg — were tied for second at 4-under after 54 holes, with a larger group still within range. ### How did Smalley get to the top? Smalley reached the lead with a back-nine turnaround after a difficult start. The PGA Championship’s official recap said he went out in 2-over 37, then came home in 4-under 31, making three birdies over his last four holes for a 2-under 68. (pgachampionship.com) “The wind was certainly up when we first started the round,” Smalley said, according to the PGA Championship report. He said the course played harder early and added that he stayed patient as conditions shifted during the day. ### How packed is the leaderboard behind him? (pgachampionship.com) Five players were tied for second at 4-under: Rai, Rahm, Schmid, Taylor and Åberg. Golfweek reported that 22 players were within four shots of the lead after the third round, a measure of how little separation Aronimink created heading into Sunday. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed were among the players at 3-under, according to the official leaderboard. (pgachampionship.com) Hideki Matsuyama and several others began Sunday at 2-under. ### Why is Smalley’s position getting attention? Smalley had never held a 54-hole lead in a PGA Tour event before this week, the PGA Championship’s official story said. The same report said he entered the final round having posted top-20 finishes in each of his previous four starts. (pgachampionship.com) The field around him includes major champions and established contenders. Rahm is already a two-time major winner, while Åberg and Rai are among the higher-profile names in the chase group. That leaves Smalley trying to convert his first 54-hole lead on one of golf’s biggest stages. (pgachampionship.com) ### What has Aronimink done to scoring? Aronimink Golf Club has kept the championship compressed rather than letting one player pull away. The official PGA Championship site listed Smalley as the only player under par in all three rounds entering Sunday. (pgachampionship.com) Saturday’s scoring moved in different directions as wind affected parts of the day. Smalley said conditions were harder when his round began, and the official recap described a “bumpy” front nine before his late recovery. ### Who tees off when on Sunday? The official PGA Championship site listed Smalley and Schmid in the final pairing at 11:35 a.m. local time on Sunday, May 17. (golfweek.usatoday.com) Rai and Åberg were scheduled for 11:15 a.m., while Rahm and Taylor were set for 11:25 a.m. at Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The final round will decide the 108th PGA Championship on Sunday at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia. (pgachampionship.com) The official leaderboard remained live on the PGA Championship website on Sunday morning, with Smalley at 6-under and the nearest five pursuers at 4-under. (pgachampionship.com)