Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Scottie Scheffler surveys his prey.Alamy Stock Photo the inevitable Remorseless Scheffler takes control on moving day of the PGA Championship Scottie Scheffler takes a three-shot lead into the final day at Quail Hollow, as Rory McIlroy again toiled to an over-par round. 12.37am, 18 May 2025 Share options Gavin Cooney reports from Quail Hollow Golf Club MOVING DAY AT the PGA Championship was a reminder that Scottie Scheffler’s is a steady but remorseless pace. The man does not sprint beyond his competition, but simply erodes whatever he happens to find in front of him. Where Rory McIlroy can be irresistible and Bryson DeChambeau irrepressible, Scheffler is inevitable. Scheffler is a master of the balanced diet, and he took charge of this tournament by once again knowing when to give and when to take. Hence he went one-under through the challenging opening six holes and the took the birdie opportunity presented by the par-five seven. He was also given an occasional gift: an enormous break on the eighth hole when his tee shot flew miles right but bounced back into play off a tree. There’s a simple cadence to the closing of Quail Hollow and Scheffler naturally played it note-perfect. The driveable par-four 14th and the par-five 15th are scoring holes, where you mine your prize and then cling onto it for dear life through the final three holes, known as the Green Mile. Scheffler played the scoring holes eagle-birdie – the 14th thanks to a majestic three-wood to three feet – and then strode through the closing trio of holes in par-birdie-birdie to sign for a six-under 65, the best round of the day. It was a Green Mile finish to condemn the rest of the field. History teaches us that when Scheffler has a three-shot lead, everyone else is ordering their final meal. The first of the upwardly mobile of moving day was the schedule itself. Glowering morning skies heralded a thunderstorm that led to a suspension of play just prior to the first tee. Rory McIlroy, slated for an 8.25am start having only just snuck inside the cut line last night, was walking away from the range to the first tee when he heard the klaxon blare. He turned around to Harry Diamond and exclaimed, Fuck. Off. Advertisement Having gone through a warm up for a crack-of-dawn start, McIlroy was then told the start would be delayed by a couple of hours, that everyone would be lumped into trios and playing off split tees. Oh, and Rory? You’re actually going to go out as the penultimate group in more than five hours time. It was the latest gag played on McIlroy by the baleful gods. His preparation on Tuesday was interrupted when the USGA randomly assessed his driver and found its wear and tear no longer conformed to their very specific limits. Rory McIlroy.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo It meant McIlroy had to perform some emergency surgery and replace the driver head days at the 11th hour, and he ranked dead last among the 153-person field for driving accuracy across Thursday and Friday. His driving greatly improved today, finding a succession of early fairways but only a matching birdie on the 14th. He then killed any kind of momentum with his drive at the par-five 15th. The wind whipped up and carried McIlroy’s drive off to the right, where it then bounced off a cart path and into the back garden of one of the millionaire mansions backing onto the course. So much for Rory playing with house money. His challenge was ended in a monied house. McIlroy drifted to a one-over 72, and refused to speak to the media after his round for the third-straight day. Where McIlroy toiled, his fellow thoroughbreds opened their stride. Jon Rahm birdied two of his opening three holes and was taking any prisoners he could find. His shot into 11 went dunk off a fan’s head, with a concerned Rahm handing him a signed glove after checking in on him. “That may not be enough”, replied his victim. Rahm then reeled off three straight-birdies on holes 14 through 16, although handed one back with a bogey on the par-three 17th, the middle act of the Green Mile. Rahm would not be the only player to struggle as the wind picked up to buffet a green that curls like a crooked finger onto the water. For it was there Bryson DeChambeau had his monster truck tyres slashed. Starting the day at three-under, Bryson hit the gas and accelerated through the front nine like a battering ram; pulverising drive after drive. Once again the crowd favourite, DeChambeau birdied holes 14 and 15 to take the solo lead, only to bogey 16 before he paid too little heed to the wind on 17 and saw his ball knocked down into the water. His next effort from the drop zone left himself more than 30 feet for bogey, but he had to back off his putt as he heard roars pulsing from across the water on the 14th green. The reason: Scottie Scheffler had arrived. To that point, Scheffler hadn’t so much made a charge as lazily stretched his legs. He rises slowly up leaderboards as if by capillary action; creeping north like water up a trouser leg. He went out in an even-par 33, then went par-bogey-birdie-bogey, before he drew a three-wood on the driveable par-four and smoked it to within three feet. He tapped in for eagle to move into a share of the lead with Sweden’s Alex Noren, who bolted for home with a stunning run of four birdies in his final three holes. DeChambeau, meanwhile, hit a stodgy second shot into 18 but impressively got up and down for a closing par and an outside chance of making a run for a third major title tomorrow. For that he will have to go on the attack, and he can look to Si Woo Kim for inspiration. Kim started the day in a tie for the lead having yesterday landed the longest hole-in-one in major history, but wasn’t in the mood to defend, taking a driver off the deck on the par-five 10th. He could only make par, mind, and made bogey either side, on the way to an even-par 71. With many of the A-listers coming to the fore, it was easy to forget the exploits of our overnight leader, Jhonattan Vegas. He lost his two-shot lead by opening bogey-bogey and from there the US broadcasters generally took the view that what happened to Vegas should remain known only to Vegas. But he hung tough and clawed his shots back with birdies on seven and 14, only to blow up on 15, hooking his tee shot left and into the water. He made a bogey on the second-easiest hole of the day, and dropped a final, devastating shot on the final hole, slipping five shots off the lead with which he started the day. His playing partner Mathieu Pavon was eaten up by the stretch, bogeying all three holes to fall five shots off Scheffler. Matt Fitzpatrick was also in the final group, but also lost ground by carding a one-over 72. Americans Davis Riley and JT Poston ended the day in a tie for third place, four shots from Scheffler, who has this PGA Championship by the throat. He won’t be minded to set it free. Gavin Cooney Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Remorseless Scheffler takes control on moving day of the PGA Championship ”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Remorseless Scheffler takes control on moving day of the PGA Championship ”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. 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