Xander Schauffele, on fire to start the PGA Championship, had to settle for a share of the lead after the third round on Saturday.
Collin Morikawa caught up to the San Diego State alum and both sat atop the leaderboard at 15-under, one stroke ahead of Sahith Theegala and two in front of a trio that includes Shane Lowry.
The Irishman had himself a banner round Saturday at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., shooting a 9-under 62 to place himself firmly in contention.
Remarkably, Schauffele, a Rancho Bernardo native, did the same to open the tournament Thursday, when he established an early advantage. His and Lowry’s feats mark just the fourth and fifth times players have posted the low score in a men’s major.
Schauffele maintained his lead after Friday’s second round, but had some tough going Saturday as the field tightened. He briefly slipped out of the top spot, but birdied the final two holes for a three-under 68.
Heading into Sunday, he told Reuters, when he’ll try to secure his first title at a major, “I need to really just stay in my lane and do a lot of what I’ve been doing and just worry about myself.”
Morikawa pulled even with a 4-under 67, with birdies on five holes, including the 18th. Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland joined Lowry at two shots back.
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top ranked golfer whose recent hot streak included a Masters win a month ago, had trouble a day following his arrest on various charges, including second-degree assault of a police officer, near the golf course.
He had been three shots back, but after a two-over 73 Saturday fell eight shots off the pace.