What’s in store for Saturday at the PGA Championship? Frankly it’s anyone’s guess, which is what makes it so fascinating. Phil Mickelson and Louis Oosthuizen enter the weekend tied for the lead at five under, but there’s a crowded leader board full of major champions (Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Gary Woodland) anxious to see if they can make some noise.
(Scroll down for the latest updates)
The plot thickens thanks to the fact that the stiff winds that players faced Thursday and Friday seemed to have died down. Will a less defensive Ocean Course allow for somebody to get off to a hot early start and sneak into contention?
Here are the latest updates from Saturday at the 2021 PGA Championship:
12:56 p.m.: OK, there are definitely some low numbers. Joel Dahmen is the lowest so far—he just went out in 31 …. he’s 5-under through his first 9 (!) to get to 2-under and three back of the lead. The winner in Puerto Rico is firmly in the mix here at Kiawah.
12:44 p.m.: There are definitely some low scores out there. Jordan Spieth is one of the lowest so far … he JUST missed a nice birdie look at the 12th hole that would’ve given him his fifth birdie of the day, and his third in a row, but it just misses. Spieth is back to even par, which is just five back of the lead. He’ll likely need a couple more to be truly a part of the conversation … but it’s been an impressive morning for him.
Here’s one of those birdies—a sporty chip that we’ve come accustomed to seeing from the 27-year-old:
12:26 p.m.: As mentioned, the milder conditions at Kiawah will likely allow for some guys who tee off early on Saturday the opportunity to make a run and put a little heat on the leaders in the afternoon. So who look like the early candidates to do the whole “Moving Day” thing? Billy Horschel is four under through 15 holes and up to one over for the championship; Jordan Spieth is three under through 10. Webb Simpson is three under through 15 (two over for the championship) after just making the cut on the number and extending the longest active cuts-made-in-majors streak to 16.
Frankly, though, these guys are still a little too far back of the leaders to really be a threat. For a more realistic lurker, lets try Joel Dahmen, who is three under through seven holes and now at even par for the championship.
12:10 p.m.: OK, here’s a little more table setting for Saturday’s third round. Catch up on the surprise rounds of Friday here. This can get you up to speed on Oosthuizen and his pretty heroic second round that almost gave him the outright lead until a final-hole bogey.