From the tee of the 16th hole at Quail Hollow Club on Saturday, LIV Golf League captain Bryson DeChambeau was leading the PGA Championship.
DeChambeau had made a birdie on the 15th hole, his fifth of the round, to get to 8 under par. He was one stroke ahead of Davis Riley and Jhonattan Vegas, the unexpected leader in the first two rounds.
I was pumped. I was like, ‘Alright, in the lead. Let’s go. Let’s keep pushing’.
Bryson DeChambeau
Unfortunately for DeChambeau, he still had to play the “Green Mile”, the famous three-hole finishing stretch at Quail Hollow.
His leadership didn’t last long.
On the 16th hole, DeChambeau sent his 375-yard drive to the right of the rough. His second shot, from 142 yards, stopped at the edge of the green. After a chip to about 6 feet, his par putt veered off, leaving him with a bogey that dropped him to 7 under par.
Subsequently, on the 17th hole, DeChambeau’s tee shot from 187 yards wasn’t long enough and ended up in the lake in front of the green. After a drop, his third shot landed 23 feet away. He managed two putts for a double bogey 5.
I hit a great 9-iron exactly how I wanted. The wind just pushed it. I can’t do anything. The wind changed from being neutral to the right like it was on 4, I think, and it was almost straight and we misjudged it.
Bryson DeChambeau
With a par on the 18th hole, DeChambeau carded a 69 with 2 under par. He was tied for eighth place at 5 under par after 54 holes, six strokes behind the world’s number 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, who seemed to take control of the tournament with a 65 with 6 under par on Saturday.
All I can do is control what I can control, and if I go out and shoot 6, 7 under par, that’s what I’m going to focus on. It’s not that that’s what I’m going to do, but you never know. But I’m going to play as low as I can.
Bryson DeChambeau
I am at a disadvantage now. I have to turn on my weapons tomorrow.
Bryson DeChambeau
The odds are against DeChambeau to win on Sunday starting from so far back. Almost all of the last 35 PGA Championship winners were in the top five after 54 holes, and almost all of the last 14 winners were leading or within two strokes entering the final 18 holes.
DeChambeau’s length off the tee will again be an advantage, leading the field with an average driving distance of 331 yards, but he will need to play nearly flawless golf. He hit only five of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in the third round.
And, of course, the constant Scheffler will have to make more than a few mistakes.
DeChambeau would have been much closer to Scheffler if it weren’t for the mistakes on holes 16 and 17.
That’s why golf is the worst four-letter word in the world.
Bryson DeChambeau
