Alex Smalley takes 54-hole lead at PGA Championship, two shots clear

Alex Smalley entered Sunday with the lead at the 108th PGA Championship after three rounds at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The PGA Championship’s official site listed Smalley at 6-under par after 54 holes, two shots clear of a group at 4-under. (pgachampionship.com) Sunday’s final round was scheduled for May 17, with starting times beginning at 7:40 a.m. ET and the final pairing going off at 2:35 p.m. ET. The leaderboard behind him remained compressed. Matti Schmid, Nick Taylor, Jon Rahm, Aaron Rai and Ludvig Aberg all stood tied for second at 4-under, while Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed and Maverick McNealy were another shot back at 3-under. (pgachampionship.com) ### How unusual is Smalley’s position? Alex Smalley arrived at the final round as the solo leader of a major championship for the first time in his career, according to NBC Sports’ report from Saturday night. NBC Sports said the 29-year-old from Rochester, New York, had not won on the PGA Tour and had never won a major championship. NBC Sports also reported that Smalley was the only player in the field to post all three rounds under par through Saturday. (pgachampionship.com) That gave him the narrow edge on a course that had kept scoring close to par for much of the week. (pgachampionship.com) ### What did Smalley say after the third round? Smalley told reporters after his third-round 68 that conditions became tougher after his start. “By the time that I teed off, the wind had picked up, and it became very difficult to hit a fairway, hit a green, even make a three- or four-footer,” he said, according to NBC Sports. (nbcsports.com) Smalley also said he settled himself after a shaky start. NBC Sports reported that he began Saturday with three bogeys before recovering on the back nine, where he made five birdies and one bogey. “I just try to keep putting one foot in front of the other,” Smalley said, adding that he tried to regain his tempo and rhythm. (nbcsports.com) ### Who was closest to him on Sunday morning? Matti Schmid shared second place at 4-under and drew the final-round pairing with Smalley. The PGA Championship’s starting-times release said Smalley and Schmid were set to tee off together at 2:35 p.m. ET. (nbcsports.com) Aaron Rai, Jon Rahm, Nick Taylor and Ludvig Aberg also began Sunday two shots back. The official leaderboard showed that cluster at 4-under, leaving multiple contenders within reach if Smalley faltered or the course played harder again. ### Where did the biggest names land in the draw? Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele were scheduled together at 2:05 p.m. (nbcsports.com) ET, 30 minutes ahead of the leaders. Scottie Scheffler was paired with David Puig at 12:05 p.m. ET, according to the PGA Championship’s final-round starting times. Golf.com’s Sunday tee-times report said viewers could watch the final round from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (pgachampionship.com) ET on ESPN and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on CBS, with streaming coverage also available on ESPN+. ### What was at stake in the final round? The Wanamaker Trophy was on the line Sunday, with Smalley trying to convert a two-shot advantage against a leaderboard packed with established major champions and Ryder Cup players. (pgachampionship.com) NBC Sports described Smalley as a comparatively unheralded name among those near the top and reported that he had played well in recent weeks, with no finish worse than tied for 21st in his previous five starts. (pgachampionship.com) Smalley also told NBC Sports that familiarity could help in the final pairing because he and Schmid are friends and had been partners at the 2024 Zurich Classic. (golf.com) Sunday’s final round at Aronimink was set to begin at 7:40 a.m. ET, with Rai and Aberg at 2:15 p.m. ET, Rahm and Taylor at 2:25 p.m. ET, and Smalley and Schmid closing the draw at 2:35 p.m. ET. (pgachampionship.com) (nbcsports.com)