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The story of the 103rd PGA Championship was, of course, Phil … and Brooks. And the brutish, breezy Ocean Course. And the 72nd-hole chaos. But there were smaller, less consequential moments and observations. There always are at the majors. In the wake of the thrilling week that was, we asked our three on-site reporters to shake out their notebooks and spin us a yarn they didn’t tell last week.  

The Tour de Kiawah
by Michael Bamberger

The best way to get to the golf course was by bike. On Kiawah Island, all through the playing of the PGA Championship, you saw bikes. Not like Bike Week in Daytona Beach, where thousands and thousands of helmeted fellas and gals chug into town on their Harleys. During the Florida Swing, in and around Orlando and Jacksonville, you see the bikers whenever you stop to buy gas or a six. It’s a great scene. Great Americana. But the bike-week scene at Kiawah was not that. Nothing like that. These were bike bikes.

You know the kind. Picture David Feherty on his bike, on the side of the road after another mishap. The 27-speed gear-shifter mangled beyond repair. Not that. Or Rory McIlroy and our own Jonathan Wall on their Peletons. Nothing like that, either.

What this was was hundreds of men, and some women, most of them on the north side of 55, cruising slowly along wide bike paths on fat-tired bikes with foot brakes, big baskets above the front tires, wide, mushy saddles (seats) and upright handlebars. And still the cyclists slouched..

These were rental bikes, or bikes borrowed from the owners of the houses and villas and condos that were occupied for the week by fans of the golf. Should you wear a helmet while wearing a bike? You should. Was this crowd? It was not. At 4 or 5 or 6 miles per hour, the risks were minimal.

Just like the Daytona Bike Week crowd, this gang had a uniform, too. Shirts with club logos tucked into khaki shorts, the whole package secured by embroidered belts. Golf caps, of course. White golf shoes. Faces slathered with sunblock.

Most of the fans came to the course on giant air-conditioned tourist buses, roaring and noisy and cumbersome on the island’s narrow roads. The bikers snorted, their mode of transportation so superior. Their main struggle was to get enough speed up to keep going forward on a reasonably straight line. Either that, or they were drunk.

And then they’d dismount near the main entrance, where there was a parking lot for bikes, maybe a quarter-acre big, deep in a woods, a shortish walk to the course. They’d hike on in. They were there for the golf, but their iPhones were already giving them credit for some burned calories. Talk about your win-wins.

At Home on the Range
by Dylan Dethier

Playing partners Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson cut opposite figures warming up before Sunday’s round. Mickelson is lefty. Koepka is not. Mickelson was going fully technical. Koepka was not. Mickelson was replacing clubs, tweaking alignment and dialing in new swing thoughts. Koepka was not. Mickelson is (theoretically) in the twilight of his career. Koepka is not. Mickelson didn’t have a top 10 in a major since 2016; Koepka had won four majors — and counting — since then.

The only commonality they had was a shared intensity, but even that was different: Koepka seeks to exude effortless, nonchalant jock swagger, while Mickelson’s intensity is decidedly effortful. His golf, all week, looked difficult (and brilliant!).

But an hour earlier two other final-round playing partners approached their range session very differently. Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler each began the day at even par, on the edge of contention. Fowler and caddie Joe Skovron set up first, near the far right end of the range. The entire range was open, but Spieth and caddie Michael Greller took the spot directly next to Fowler. Their respective warm-ups were dotted with brief interruptions; the caddies chatted, the players chatted, they all chatted together. Skovron pulled up a video on his phone of Greller hitting a pivotal shot in a match they’d played together and all four huddled around to check it out.

None of this is easy. All four of the aforementioned golfers are reminders of that.

Koepka, despite his greatness, is a reminder that golf is plenty taxing on your body and that to play at the highest level your entire engine needs to cooperate.

Fowler, despite his talent, is a reminder that coming out of a slump is not actually inevitable. Out here, it’s awfully difficult just to keep pace.

Spieth, despite his mixed results of late, is a reminder that coming out of a slump certainly is possible. Even with the eyes of the golf world upon you.

And Mickelson, despite his age, is a reminder that the golf ball doesn’t know a whole lot about the person hitting it. The ball is more concerned with the object colliding with it.

The range at a professional golf tournament is a reminder just how many ways there are to do this successfully. Swings look wildly different. Body types, too. Demeanors. Routines. What they all have in common is an attention to detail and an ability to hit the ball on the ground with the dead center of that clubface. I spent a lot of time there last week, just watching.

Lowcountry for Old Men
by Luke Kerr-Dineen

For the past few years, the narrative has been set: That golf is changing. That the inevitable march of human progress is breaking apart the game as we know it. That a fusion of technology and athleticism is giving rise to a new crop of emerging golfers. Innovators, ready to render everybody else obsolete. They’re coming. Watch your back.

And then 50-year-old Phil Mickelson became the oldest man to win a major, fending off a player nearly half his age with relative ease.

With history officially re-written, it’s perhaps time to consider the growing body of evidence that the real innovation from the current revolution may not be giving rise to new careers, but in extending the life of existing ones.

It’s undisputable that young players are equipped with better information than ever (and more of it!). Their games have been shaped by that information, which means there’s an underlying level of trust.

But here’s the thing about information: It comes in many forms. Some of it’s good. Some of it’s great! Some of it is just okay. You can have too much information, or not enough. Sometimes the information you have is underdeveloped, flawed or just plain wrong.

It’s why the best information is the kind served with a hearty dose of skepticism, the kind that comes with having been there and done that. To know a salesman when they see one because they’ve fallen for that schtick already, or to bat away something that makes sense in theory but doesn’t work in practice, because they’ve already tried it.

Phil Mickelson, navigating the Ocean Course with his 48-inch high-tech driver and 19th century-style blade putter, embodies the best of both schools of thought. But he’s not the only one. Alongside Phil in the top 5 last week was 49-year-old Padraig Harrington. A month earlier, 48-year-old Stewart Cink won the RBC Heritage. A few months before that 49-year-old Brian Gay again found himself in the winner’s circle. (Cink and Gay both made the cut at Kiawah.) Meanwhile, 63-year-old Bernhard Langer continues to be the man to beat on the Champions Tour.

These are players who have access to the latest and greatest information, then use their life experience to take the essential next step of figuring out how to actually use it.

“As you gain experience, you lose innocence,” Harrington said. “There is a sweet spot on the way up.”

And as Mickelson will tell, sometimes it’s really, really sweet.

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The wild scene on the 18th hole at Kiawah Island Sunday afternoon was unlike anything in PGA Championship history. Now, the PGA of America says, the final moments of the tournament were too wild.

PGA of America officials issued a public apology on Monday to Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka — both players in Sunday’s final pairing — for a fan reaction it says “briefly overwhelmed” security at Kiawah Island.

The moment in question came on the 72nd hole of Phil Mickelson’s historic win, where fans swarmed into the center of the fairway after the two players hit their approach shots into the 18th green. The goal, it appeared, was to have fans walk the final hole with the leaders and surround the 18th green, creating a fitting coronation for the soon-to-be crowned oldest major champion in golf history.

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Instead, the crowd powered past security and briefly enveloped Mickelson; a moment he categorized as “unnerving” in a post-round interview with Amanda Balionis. Koepka was also swarmed, and suggested after the round that fans might have been targeting his injured knee in the process.

“Somebody jammed Ricky, Ricky stopped unintentionally because he got drilled in the face, and then I got drilled in the back because he got stopped so quickly,” Koepka said of his caddie, Ricky Elliott. “But I don’t know what someone tried to or what, I don’t know what the deal was. There were so many people around.

“Yeah, it would have been cool if I didn’t have a knee injury and got dinged a few times in the knee in that crowd because no one really gave a s—, personally,” he continued. “But if I was fine, yeah, it would have been cool. Yeah, it’s cool for Phil. But getting dinged a few times isn’t exactly my idea of fun.”

The scene lasted only a minute or so, with security moving quickly to regain control of the situation and form a protective barrier around the players. Still, the momentary breach was enough to draw an apology from PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh.

“While we welcome enthusiastic fan engagement,” a statement from Waugh read. “We regret that a moment of high elation and pent-up emotion by spectators on the 18th hole during the conclusion of yesterday’s historic PGA Championship briefly overwhelmed security and made two players and their caddies feel vulnerable.”

Waugh, who has been the PGA’s CEO since 2018, said he spoke individually with both Mickelson and Koepka to express his regret.

“We always put player safety at the top of our list and are grateful that order was restored,” Waugh said. “I have spoken to both players and apologized on behalf of the Association.”

On Sunday, Mickelson won his sixth major with a two-stroke victory at the Ocean Course.

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The Drop Zone break down everything that was significant about Mickelson’s win, what it means for golf history and what it means moving forward for everyone involved.

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Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us @golf_com. This week, we discuss Phil Mickelson’s victory, as a 50-year-old, at the PGA Championship, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, and Brooks Koepka’s reputation.

1. Fifty-year-old Phil Mickelson did what no one saw coming: win the 103rd PGA Championship to become the oldest major winner in history. What will most stick with you from Phil’s performance?

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Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): The feeling that at any moment it could all come crashing down. Every shot felt like it had tournament-deciding implications, even when he had a huge lead, and I don’t think I’m alone when I say I didn’t feel certain he would win until his approach found the green on the 72nd hole. It was vintage Lefty, and boy was it fun.

Sean Zak, senior editor (@sean_zak): That the entire week was decidedly un-Phil. He didn’t seem jovial with the press, he was curt with a cameraman, he flashed the thumbs-up, but wasn’t really looking at the fans. And he drove the ball like a stallion. All of that is to say that the man sort of reinvented himself to win at 50. Hitting bombs, hitting irons like he was 24, rolling the rock as good as ever. I will never forget how new it all seemed.

Jessica Marksbury, multimedia editor (@Jess_Marksbury): That ridiculous short game. Aside from the obvious highlight — the chip-in on 7 — Phil got it up-and-down time and again under extremely difficult, stressful circumstances, not to mention brutal lies. Also, the incredible effort he put into controlling his emotions. You could tell it took a toll.

James Colgan, assistant editor (@jamescolgan26): How fun it was to ride the roller coaster with him on Sunday. Phil’s performance was, as we all know, anything but sure-footed, but that added so much to the experience. Everyone, Phil included, was clinging to the edge of their seat till his approach landed safely on the 72nd hole. If that’s the last time I ride the roller coaster with Lefty, I’m leaving happy.

Michael Bamberger, senior writer: The trooper shades, and imagining what went on behind them.

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): Along the lines of what a few others above said, and what Mickelson said himself, the focus. Take his tee shot on 17. On the hardest hole on the course, in front of a spirited crowd, while holding a lead on the final day of a major, while trying to become the oldest major champion ever, Mickelson said he felt the wind. It changed directions. And he stepped away. Does Mickelson in his 20s and 30s do that? I’m not sure. 

2. Where does this victory rank among Mickelson’s career achievements?

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Melton: No. 1, no questions asked. The Open Championship win came out of left field, but this win came from another planet. There were no signs that this would be Phil’s week, yet he gutted it out and came out on top. Winning like that at age 50 is certainly the top accomplishment of his decorated career. 

Bamberger: No. 1, no questions asked. Thanks, Z.

Zak: This is his greatest achievement and will go down as the greatest memory of his career. How can it not? The greatest testament to a full, full, full career in golf, and a victory at 50 on perhaps the toughest course in the world. The only thing that could top it … well, it takes place in four weeks.

Marksbury: For us, the viewers and fans, it has to be No. 1, given the sheer unexpectedness and happy-surprise factor. Who knows where it ranks for Phil. I’m sure he’s gratified by the achievement, but it feels like the emotional impact could have been higher for him if his wife and kids had been on-site. I was yearning for Phil’s version of Tiger’s 2019 Masters moment on the 18th green and felt kind of disappointed when it didn’t happen.

Colgan: Yep, what they said. ^

Piastowski: No. 1, in a career full of highlights. The breakthrough win at the 2004 Masters and the emotional victory at the 2010 Masters are also up there, of course.  

3. Before Mickelson, the oldest player to win a major was Julius Boros, who at 48 won the 1968 PGA Championship. One could argue fields are deeper today than they were in the 1960s, but when you also consider equipment advancements and modern players’ emphasis on fitness, is Mickelson’s win more or less impressive than Boros’? 

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Melton: I know very little about Julius Boros and his win in 1968, so I will leave this question to the more seasoned staffers here at GOLF.com. *cough* Bambi. *cough*

Bamberger: Lexi Thompson’s mother’s father delivered milk to the Boros home.

Zak: How could it not be more impressive? I also know little about Mr. Boros, but Phil took down Koepka! The king of majors! He gave strokes back to Koepka and Oosty and the rest of the field, and then jumped right back on them. The best field in golf.

Marksbury: Yeah, always tough to compare eras. Gotta give Phil the edge, especially when you consider the stage: the longest major championship ever! Phil topping the tournament’s longest drive with that 366-yard bomb was just icing on the cake.

Bamberger: I think Boros’ win is more impressive, in its time, only because there was less cultural acceptance of what a golfer could do at 48 (or 50). What Phil did is incredible. Two incredible feats.

Colgan: With the disclaimer that I’m not yet half Phil’s or Julius’ ages when they won, I’d have to lean toward Phil. The gap between young and old has never been greater in professional golf than right now, particularly given the advances listed above. Phil’s victory (at two years Boros’ senior) seems damn-near impossible.

Piastowski: Agreed that it’s difficult to compare eras. And while Mickelson edged Koepka, Boros bested Arnold Palmer. I’ll give the edge to Phil, simply by the fact that he’s older. Two great accomplishments, for sure.  

4. Brooks Koepka started the final round one stroke behind Mickelson and well within striking distance of his fifth major title. But he played the par-5s in three over and shot a 74 to finish two back, albeit on a still balky knee. Does this Sunday at all tarnish Koepka’s reputation for unflappableness in the majors?   

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Melton: Koepka was never going to win every time he was in contention. Golf is just too hard. Even Tiger didn’t close the deal every time (hello, Y.E. Yang), so a runner-up finish shouldn’t diminish his achievements in the big ones. I was still extremely impressed with Koepka’s ability to keep himself in it until the very end despite being less than 100 percent. 

Zak: It shows he’s not invincible. He had a bad left miss going on all afternoon and couldn’t fix it until it was too late. When he needed to carry that bunker on 16 for an eagle chance, he didn’t. I think he’s still unflappable, but nobody conquers this game forever. That said, all he needed was a 71 to win. 

Marksbury: Not at all. Koepka put himself in the mix yet again, and there’s a lot to be said for that at the game’s highest level. Plus, as Zephyr said, you can’t win them all. Just ask Jack Nicklaus.

Bamberger: Oh, Jess. It pains me to disagree with you. But, yes, it does. After turning the table after just one hole? That was Koepka’s moment to step on Phil’s throat, Tiger-style.

Colgan: Now you’re speaking my language, Michael. Brooks’ mythos is as a stone-cold killer. Phil left the door firmly ajar for him this afternoon, and he didn’t capitalize. (Though I’ll admit I admired his grace in defeat — maybe Brooks isn’t ALL frat bro, all the time.) 

Piastowski: No. Capital N. Golf is hard. But on one knee — and shoot, maybe no knees — he tied for second. That’s incredible. The dude knows how to show up when the tournaments are the biggest. No one wins every time out, not even Tiger. 

5. The windy Ocean Course at Kiawah Island lived up to its fearsome rep, giving the players all they could handle over four rounds. Would you like to see Pete Dye’s design appear more frequently on the major rota?

Melton: I have no issue with the Ocean Course becoming a regular stop for the PGA Championship, and we can throw Whistling Straits in there, too. So I guess what I’m saying is yes?

Zak: With the PGA Championship moving to May, perhaps it should take the ceremonial spot of Whistling Straits, which won’t be able to host that event in May anymore. Whistling hosted three PGAs in 12 years, and I think we’d learn to really love Kiawah in a sick and twisted way if it came around three times every two decades. 

Instruction

Bamberger: The golf course exists, as best I can tell, as an excellent venue for major events in beautiful weather on TV. But it’s not a real course, not in the conventional sense of walk the course, find your ball. I’m sure they sold a million tee times this week. The setup was excellent. It was a great event. But it’s really tough on spectators, and I just don’t know. By which I mean alternate every year between the Ocean Course and Pebble Beach.

Colgan: Eh. I think it’s worth noting that we were four windless days away from a 16-under winner. Kiawah seems like a lovely location, but I’d stop short of calling it a blue-chip location.

Marksbury: Most definitely. The vistas we were treated to of the crashing surf and perfectly manicured golf course made for a sublime viewing experience. And why should the U.S. Open have a monopoly on carnage? Bring it on!

Piastowski: Yes. Capital Y. The golf was entertaining for all four days, which is what we want, and most every player said the course was firm but fair, which is all they want.  

6. It’s hard not to fixate on Phil, but what was the second-most important storyline to emerge from the PGA?

Melton: Louis Oosthuizen adding another silver medal to his hardware! The man is four strokes away from having a career grand slam to his credit, and he’s six strokes away from having five(!) major titles. Louis is fewer than 10 strokes from being one of the all-time greats. Instead, he has merely put together a good, but not great, career.

Zak: I hate to focus too much on the guy, but Koepka is my answer. His ability to play major championships better than anyone else needs to get properly documented. And not just in stat boxes on the broadcast. He’s explained to me the zone he gets in during majors, and of course it doesn’t make any special sense to an idiot like myself. But to him, it does. Even when he’s hampered. He has to be the favorite for Torrey. And for Royal St. George’s. And then maybe for Augusta, too. Don’t doubt him. It makes no sense. 

Marksbury: Both excellent choices, guys. I’ll go with Will Zalatoris, who quietly posted his third consecutive top 8 finish in a major championship. Hard not to envision him winning one of these soon enough.  

Bamberger: Tim.

Colgan: Rory looked completely unchanged from his recent major form, which is to say he was underwhelming. That wasn’t shocking on its face, but that BIG left miss concerns me heading forward.

Piastowski: Second most, right? Well, if you happen to be a 45-year-old golfer rehabbing, a win by a 50-year-old gives you hope that there are still good years ahead. 

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Sunday at the PGA Championship leaves us on the cusp of history — and with plenty of dough on the line. Here’s everything you need to know about tournament money, including purse, payout and winner’s share.

PGA Championship final round preview

Phil Mickelson — yes, that Phil Mickelson — is 18 holes away from major championship history. Mickelson (seven under) wakes up Sunday in Kiawah with the 54-hole lead at the PGA Championship. If he’s able to hold on through the final 18 holes on Sunday, the 50-year-old would become the oldest major champion in golf history.

Standing firmly in Lefty’s way? None other than Brooks Koepka. The 2018 and 2019 PGA champion looks refreshed and renewed at Kiawah Island, playing without noticeable pain for the first time in at least 18 months, and it shows. He sits one stroke back of Phil after what he described as the “worst putting performance of his career” during Saturday’s third round and enters Sunday in the final pairing.

The stage is set for an all-time Sunday showdown between Mickelson and Koepka, with swirling winds expected to reach their apex as the two leaders make it into the Ocean Course’s dastardly closing stretch. Further back, a group headlined by Louis Oosthuizen (five under), Bryson DeChambeau (two under) and Gary Woodland (two under) looks to make a late Sunday charge.

2021 PGA Championship record purse

The 2021 PGA Championship total purse is a record-high this year, at $12 million. That’s a million more than last year’s $11 million purse and it’s now the second-highest payout in major golf, only behind the U.S. Open.

Last year, Collin Morikawa won $1.980 million, while this year’s winner is in line to win $2.160 million.

Below, find everything you need to know about the PGA’s $12 million purse, including payout information and winner’s share; you can catch the action beginning at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

2021 PGA Championship payout breakdown

1. $2,160,000

2. $1,296,000

3. $816,000

4. $576,000

5. $480,000

6. $413,000

7. $380,000

8. $350,000

9. $320,000

10. $297,000

11. $275,000

12. $253,000

13. $233,000

14. $223,000

15. $213,000

16. $203,000

17. $193,000

18. $183,000

19. $173,000

20. $163,000

21. $153,000

22. $143,000

23. $133,000

24. $123,000

25. $113,000

26. $103,000

27. $93,000

28. $83,500

29. $78,200

30. $73,000

31. $69,000

32. $65,000

33. $61,000

34. $57,000

35. $53,000

36. $51,000

37. $49,000

38. $47,000

39. $45,000

40. $43,000

41. $41,000

42. $39,000

43. $37,000

44. $35,000

45. $33,000

46. $31,000

47. $29,500

48. $28,000

49. $27,000

50. $26,000

51. $25,000

52. $24,400

53. $23,900

54. $23,400

55. $23,000

56. $22,600

57. $22,300

58. $22,000

59. $21,800

60. $21,600

61. $21,400

62. $21,200

63. $21,000

64. $20,800

65. $20,600

66. $20,400

67. $20,200

68. $20,000

69. $19,800

70. $19,600

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There’s only one round left at the 2021 PGA Championship, and with Saturday’s third round so full of drama and intrigue, what will Sunday have in store at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course? We can’t wait to find out. Here are five things you need to know ahead of the final round.

1. Phil is still in control

At seven under for the tournament, 50-year-old Phil Mickelson leads the field by one shot. Regardless of what happens on Sunday, it’s been an incredible performance for the 44-time PGA Tour winner. Mickelson played beautifully on Saturday, carding five birdies on his opening 11 holes before stumbling with a bogey and double-bogey on Nos. 12 and 13.

“I felt I had a very clear picture on every shot, and I’ve been swinging the club well, and so I was executing,” Mickelson said after his round. “I just need to keep that picture a few more times. So even though it slipped a little bit today and I didn’t stay as focused and as sharp on a few swings, it’s significantly better than it’s been for a long time. So I’m making a lot of progress, and I’ll continue to work on that and hopefully I’ll be able to eliminate a couple of those loose swings tomorrow.”

A win on Sunday would mark the sixth major championship of Mickelson’s career, tying him on the all-time list with Lee Trevino and Nick Faldo.

2. Brooks is lurking

Despite battling a lingering knee injury of late, Brooks Koepka is once again on the cusp of winning a major championship. He’s one shot behind Phil Mickelson, and vying for his fifth career major title, and third PGA Championship.

Koepka avoided big numbers during Saturday’s round, but made three bogeys en route to a two-under 70. While he wasn’t thrilled with his performance, he acknowledged that he’s exactly where he wanted to be when the week began.

“I’ve got a chance to win,” he said. “So that’s all I wanted to do today is not give back any shots and be there tomorrow with a chance, and I’ve got that.”

3. Other players in contention

There are seven other players within five shots of Mickelson’s lead, including reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who is two under after posting a third round of one-under 71. Another looming threat is 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who is only two shots back at five under.

Two-time Tour winner Kevin Streelman is solo fourth at four under, while South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Branden Grace are four shots back at three under.

Another former U.S. Open champ, Gary Woodland, is tied with Joaquin Niemann and DeChambeau in seventh place at two under.

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4. Sunday’s weather forecast

After three nearly perfect days, more glorious weather is expected in Kiawah Island on Sunday.

Abundant sunshine and warm temperatures in the low 80s will greet players with afternoon tee times, and the wind should remain moderate, blowing around 12 mph.

5. The best Sunday storyline is …

There’s no question that Phil Mickelson getting the job done on Sunday and becoming the oldest major winner in history will likely be the story of the year, if not the decade. But Brooks Koepka, coming from somewhat under the radar to win his fifth major title in less than four years (after missing the cut at the Masters and rehabbing an injured knee) is a solid second.

Other outcomes to ponder: Kevin Streelman wins his very first major championship at age 42; Gary Woodland or Bryson DeChambeau come from behind to claim their second career major championships. The list goes on and on! Regardless of what inspires you to watch, the chance to witness any of the above scenarios is what makes Sunday’s action worth tuning in for.

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With grandstands filled with fans at this week’s PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, it’d be easy to forget the extraordinary circumstances that surrounded last year’s event.

The 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park was the golf world’s first major championship in 13 months, and came on the heels of a canceled Open Championship and severely delayed U.S. Open and Masters. It was hosted just as the sports world began to reawaken from a Covid-forced shutdown, and ultimately provided a grand reintroduction to major championship golf.

A jam-packed leaderboard filled the week at Harding Park, a municipal course in San Francisco. The early rounds were dominated by Bryson DeChambeau and Tiger Woods — the former’s driver-snapping madness perfectly juxtaposing the latter’s putter woes. But by the weekend, the conversation had shifted yet again. This time, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson were at the forefront.

Koepka’s trash-talking, three-peat seeking effort served as a direct affront to DJ, who’d finished runner-up to Brooks at Bethpage Black in 2019.

“I mean, I like my chances,” said the man with four majors to his credit. “When I’ve been in this position before, I’ve capitalized. I don’t know. (DJ’s) only won one. I’m playing good. I don’t know, we’ll see.”

By Saturday evening, even Rory McIlroy had jumped to Johnson’s defense.

“It’s a very different mentality to bring to golf that I don’t think a lot of golfers have,” McIlroy said. “Whether he was trying to play mind games or not — if he’s trying to play mind games, he’s trying to do it to the wrong person. I don’t think DJ really gives much of a concern for that.”

On Sunday, the stage seemed set for a three-headed battle between DeChambeau, Johnson and Koepka. But as the tournament shifted to the back nine, a little-known youngster surged to the top of the leaderboard.

His name? Collin Morikawa — a 23-year-old who’d played his college golf at nearby Cal-Berkley — and he seemed entirely undaunted by the moment. A chip-in from the front fringe on the 14th vaulted him past a four-way tie at 10 under and into the solo lead, but the tournament wasn’t decided until the 16th tee.

On the short, drivable par-4 16th, Morikawa blasted his tee shot into a minuscule gap between a pair of bunkers and onto the green. A few minutes later, he drained the eagle for a three-shot lead.

Morikawa strolled home from the 16th to win the 2020 PGA Championship. The victory was the first of his professional career — evidenced by his hilarious Wanamaker Trophy blunder — and the first of the bizarre 2020 season.

“It’s amazing,” he said after the win. “It’s been a life goal, obviously as a little kid, kind of watching everyone grow up, all these professionals, and this is always what I’ve wanted to do. I felt very comfortable from the start. As an amateur, junior golfer, turning professional last year, but to finally close it off and come out here in San Francisco, pretty much my second home where I spent the last four years, is pretty special.”

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KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — This Phil. What goes through his head? Why does he do the things he does? Is it for him — or for us, to bring some entertainment to our ordinary-by-comparison lives? 

Saturday, in the third round of the PGA Championship:

A warm-up session that had him talking to his brother and caddie (Tim Mickelson), his coach and friend (Andrew Getson), his own self (Philip Alfred “Lefty” Mickelson). And then, bam-bam-smack-pow. A two-putt birdie on the par-5 2nd. A stiffed-wedge birdie on the short par-4 3rd. A moved drone on 4. (Yes. A drone, Mickelson said, was in his second-shot flight plan. He had it buzz away.) A birdie on 6, another on 7, 32 going out, a house on fire.

After another birdie on 10, to reach 10 under for the tournament, Mickelson was actually in position to create a gaudy Tiger-in-his-prime type Saturday lead. The kind of lead where you really don’t have to do that much to close out a win. The sixth major win of his career. A month shy of turning 51. Because the ball doesn’t know how old you are.

If only it were that simple. 

Then came 12. The stroke on his par putt looked nothing like how he stroked it when he was 20 or 30 or 40. In other words, it was shaky. A bogey there. Then came 13. A snap-hook into a lake. A double-bogey. An open door.

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Enter Brooks. You remember Brooks. Big bad Brooks Koepka. It might seem like years ago that he last won but that’s because this pandemic has slowed time and also Brooks is golf’s ultimate big-game hunter. He won the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in February. But it’s possible his missed cut on a balky knee at Augusta in April made a bigger impression on you.

You had to wonder if all that lifting had maybe taken a toll on the man. The strut was there, Saturday at the PGA, the outer strut. But what about the inner one?

Mickelson and the South African Louis Oosthuizen were in the day’s last twosome. Koepka, 31, was in the penultimate twosome, with the South African Branden Grace. With actual crowds on the course again, Koepka could likely tell what Mickelson was doing behind him.

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But you remember Brooks. The chances of his caring were close to zero. Not on Saturday. With birdies on 10 and 12 and 16, coupled with Mickelson’s problems on 12 and 13, he was prowling again. A prowling Koepka is one of the most interesting things in professional golf. The purposeful walk was there. The silence-is-golden demeanor was back. Same no-fuss pre-shot routine we used to know. You know, step in the box and hit it.

Suddenly, it was 2019 again. That’s the year Koepka finished second in the Masters and then won the PGA in May at Bethpage Black, for his fourth major title. He had a second and a fourth in the two Opens. And then we didn’t hear from him much, not on weekends, not at majors.

Then came Saturday evening, with Koepka was on the 18th tee. The air was warm and soft, the wind was dying and he and Mickelson were tied at seven under. You were looking for Brooks to smash, stiff and tap in and get to 8, because isn’t that what Brooks in full does? Instead, he smashed, pulled, pitched and missed a six-footer for par. He finished at six under, a shot behind Mickelson.

So off they will go, these two large American men, in the day’s last group on Sunday. There’s a 90 percent chance that one of them will win. There’s a 100 percent chance that the player who makes more meaningful and timely putts will win.

So, who do you like?

Koepka, after his round, went to the putting green.

Mickelson, after his round, went to the range. Then to the putting green.

Here’s Koepka’s brutal analysis of his third-round putting, in his post-round interview with reporters:

“[I need to] hit it harder. That was the worst putting performance I think I’ve ever had in my career. Can’t get much worse. I thought 70 was about the highest I could have shot today.” It’s what he shot, same as Mickelson.

Mickelson was at the microphone 15 minutes later. He used the word swing five times and fun four. He used the word focus three times and sharp twice. He used major once.

And putter, putt and putting not at all. 

You don’t win or lose a major championship in five-minute group interviews. You do win or lose a major with your putter. That final twosome will wow you with its brawn on this windswept Ocean Course. But it will come down to things much more subtle than that. It will come down to putting. And putting is a young man’s game. Except when it’s not.

 Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com

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KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — Best. News. All. Week.

This Week in Spieth lives.

It thrives.

Turns out, four over par through two rounds was more than our man needed to make the cut. (The fives kept playing, too.) Which meant that Jordan Spieth could play in a Saturday twosome, in this third round of this 103rd edition of the PGA Championship, the lone major señor needs to become the sixth man to put the career grand slam on his CV.

Viz.:

Sarazen;

Player;

Hogan;

Big Jack;

Tiger.

There are three active players who need one more major to join the club. They are:

Phil, who gets another crack at his missing piece, the U.S. Open, next month at Torrey Pines;

Rory, who gets another crack at his missing piece, the Masters, next April;

The Rt. Rev. J.A. Spieth, who gets another crack at his missing piece here at the Ocean Course on Sunday, in the fourth round of the PGA Championship.

Following his scintillating third-round 68, Spieth trails Phil Mickelson by seven.

The 2022 PGA Championship will be played at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla. This Week in Spieth may resume there, if there’s sufficient demand. The 2022 PGA Championship, by the way, had been scheduled for Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., where Spieth won the U.S. Junior boys title in 2009, but the PGA of America changed the venue in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol Building.

What else would you like to know?

Years ago, Mickelson had a corporate day at Trump Bedminster with one of his sponsors. According to the course’s owner, Donald Trump, Mickelson called afterward and left a voice mail raving about the practice facilities. Trump expressed frustration when his assistant could not immediately replay the recording.

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A more successful recording session that links Phil and Jordan came after the third round the 2019 BMW Championship at Medinah. It was there and then that Mickelson put on his World Golf Hall of Fame blazer and recorded, in the club’s manly locker room, a Phireside with Phil interview with Spieth, his fellow Masters champion. Mickelson asked Spieth to tell the story about Mickelson’s Kreskin-like ability to will putts stroked by his playing partners out of the hole. Spieth asked Mickelson to cool his jets on the whole thing.

Well, you know what we say, here at This Week: what goes around comes around. Whatever that means.

To which one could say: whatever any of this means.

The question mark is silent.

Let’s get back on the main road, shall we? Spieth, Spieth, Spieth.

Everybody knows that Spieth is hyper verbal. It’s part of his appeal. A reporter noted that Spieth was born the year Mickelson first played in a PGA Championship. (Spieth was born on July 27, 1993. Six weeks later, on Aug. 15, Mickelson played his fourth round of his first PGA, in which he finished in a tie for sixth.) Spieth was asked for his impressions of Mickelson’s long career. Sayeth Spieth:

Putting

“Yeah. It’s Phil. Right? It’s theatre. I don’t watch golf but I promise you I’m going to turn it on to watch him today. It’s pretty incredible. I have no way to relate to it, but I also don’t think it’s necessarily that special. Didn’t he win a World Golf Championship in the last couple years?”

He did, in 2018. Mickelson won in Pebble Beach the following year.

Continueth Spieth:

“So he’s been competitive. And I know he’s talked about how he’s been less competitive here versus the Champions tour. And that it’s just been getting harder. But the guy’s got four good rounds in him on any golf course, and no one would bet against that. And what he did in the wind, last two days, with his accuracy struggles, to carve it into these fairways? And to be gaining strokes on the field and to shoot those scores in the conditions we’ve had? That’s pretty awesome.”

Spieth said that Sunday’s wind, expected to be completely different from Saturday’s wind, will favor a lefthanded golfer.

Always thinking, this young Jordan Spieth. Always thinking indeed.

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Always thinking and often talking, to himself as often as not.

When he lipped out on the 6th hole on Saturday, he said, aloud but to himself, “That’s my 11th lip out this week.”

Here at This Week in Spieth we believe in onward and upward. You know, like what a 65 might do for the man in the fourth round of this 103rd PGA Championship in which he attempts to become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam.

Look for Spieth to hit a lot of drivers in the fourth round, en route to something crazy low.

“Push the ball [down the fairway] as far as you can,” Spieth said. “If you don’t pull off the shot, then you don’t pull off the shot. But it’s the best chance to make birdie on the hole. That’s my mindset.”

Bring. It. On.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com

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The post 5 things to know ahead of Saturday’s third round at the PGA Championship appeared first on Golf.

The post 5 things to know ahead of Saturday’s third round at the PGA Championship appeared first on Golf.

The 2021 PGA Championship is already at the halfway point, and Friday became a mini Moving Day at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. With only two rounds left to play, here are five things you need to know ahead of Saturday’s third round.

Phil! Phil! Phil!

Phil Mickelson, 50 years old (!) and winner of five major championships, shares the lead at the 2021 PGA Championship. Lefty impressed on Thursday when he recovered from a bogey-filled first nine by posting a four-under 32 on the back to sign for a two-under 70. On Friday, he made five birdies on the front nine en route to a round of three-under 69, bringing his two-day total to five-under overall.

“Physically I feel like I’m able to perform and hit the shots that I’ve hit throughout my career, and I feel like I can do it every bit as well as I have,” Mickelson said after his round. “To play well, to know I’m playing well heading into the weekend, to be in contention, to have a good opportunity, I’m having a blast.”

Mickelson is tied for the lead with Louis Oosthuizen, who has one major to this name: the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Big names in the mix

Mickelson and Oosthuizen have plenty of starpower looking to unseat them on Saturday, with nearly two dozen other players at even par or better. Notable chasers include four-time major winner Brooks Kopeka, only one shot back; Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, two shots back; 2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, three shots back; and reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, four shots back.

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Notables heading home

Players who failed to post a 36-hole score of five-over or better will be heading home early. Among them: Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott and Xander Schauffele all finished six over and missed by one. Tommy Fleetwood, Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson were seven over, Martin Kaymer eight over, Matt Kuchar 10 over and Charl Schwartzel 11 over.

A triumph for the club pros

For 18 of the 20 PGA professionals in this week’s field, the PGA Championship experience is over. But two club-pro qualifiers, Ben Cook and Brad Marek, will see the tournament through after making the cut. Cook, the Director of Instruction at Yankee Springs Golf Course in Wayland, Mich., is playing his third straight PGA Championship and made the cut on the number at five over. Marek, a teaching professional at Corica Park in Alameda, Calif., is making his PGA Championship debut. He fired rounds of 73-73 and is currently T32 at two over.

Weather forecast

The weather has been close to ideal for the first two rounds, and Saturday is expected to be no different — albeit a bit cloudier. Temperatures are forecast to max out at 77 degrees, with wind speeds not exceeding nine mph. In short: Moving Day weather! Let’s go!

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