elcome to GOLF.com’s “Seen & Heard” video series, in which we give you an inside look at golf’s biggest events through the eyes and ears of our onsite crew. On deck this week: the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Let’s go!
ICYMI: Jon Rahm’s PGA Tour flirtation, PGA arrivals | Seen and Heard at Valhalla Days 1 & 2
ICYMI: Rory McIlroy’s striking PGA appearance, Tiger Woods hunting | Seen and Heard at Valhalla Day 3
ICYMI: Records shatter on birdie-filled Thursday at PGA | Seen and Heard at Valhalla Day 4
ICYMI: Inside Scottie Scheffler’s chaotic morning | Seen and Heard at Valhalla Day 5
PGA Championshop weekend begins with the GOLF team coming up with a multitude of stars who could be potentially be leading going into Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler. Viktor Hovland. Bryson DeChambeau. Xander Schauffele. All are on top of their games through two rounds.
Scheffler, however, is playing the third round without caddie Ted Scott. Instead, PGA Tour chaplain Brad Payne took over the bag for Round 3 as Scott went home for his daughter’s high school graduation.
“This has got to be one of the more surreal days of his life now that the reality of yesterday has set in,” said Dylan Dethier. “I will be interested to see if that has any sort of effect on his day.”
One thing that was clear on Saturday was that hometown kid Justin Thomas’ crowd showed up in force. Thomas, who plays out of Louisville and grew up not far from Valhalla, had as many as 40 friends and family following him Saturday as he shot 67 to jump into contention.
“I feel like I’ve never had this many people actually rooting for me, so I’m going to enjoy it for all it’s worth, because it’s been fun,” Thomas said.
But the star of the day was Shane Lowry, who tied Xander Schauffele’s major championship record with a 62 Saturday. He missed an 11-footer on 18 for what could have been the first 61 in major history.
“Probably the most disappointed anyone can ever be shooting 62. I knew what was at stake,” Lowry said. “Just didn’t hit the ball hard enough. Had it on a good read and just broke away from the hole.”
But the most surprising story of the day was not who played well, but who didn’t. Scheffler and Brooks Koepka both played their way out of contention with 73 and 74, respectively. Rory McIlroy made a charge with four birdies in a row, but stalled early in the back nine and will start Sunday seven back.
Everyone trails Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa, and there are plenty of chasers.
“Tomorrow, it’s going to be a fight,” Dethier said. “A leaderboard with this caliber, with this many guys and a win that would be well deserved and also mean so much, I think we’re going to have a good day.”
