Schauffele leads at the PGA Championship, while Scheffler falls behind

Xander Schauffele held a one-shot lead midway through his third round at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, while Scottie Scheffler lost ground while playing a day after being released from jail.

Overnight leader Schauffele had a bogey-free start and reached the turn in one-under-par 34 to go 13 under for the week, one shot ahead of 2019 British Open winner Shane Lowry and two-time major champion Collin Morikawa.

Englishman Justin Rose was another shot back, as was South African Dean Burmester, while LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau was part of a six-man group three shots behind the leader.

Morikawa, who started the day one shot off the lead and was in the same group as Schauffele, rolled in a 13-foot birdie putt at the par-four fifth hole to share the lead.

However, after a string of pars to begin his round, Schauffele regained the lead when he birdied the par-five seventh hole for the third day in a row.

On a day when low scores were expected, major champions Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Rose all made early charges in the third round.

Lowry, who was tied for 29th after the second round, had a blistering start, covering the front nine in six-under-par 29 to surge into contention, and then rolled in a massive 37-foot birdie at the par-four 13th to get within one.

The Irishman followed that with a 32-foot birdie putt at the par-three 14th, briefly sharing the lead before Schauffele, who was nine groups behind, birdied the seventh. Lowry had two holes remaining in his round.

Rose, an Englishman with five consecutive top-15 finishes at the PGA Championship, surged into contention with five front-nine birdies and was a shot back with two to play.

A dialed-in McIlroy, eager to end a 10-year major drought and who arrived at Valhalla as the favourite, opened with a bogey but closed with four birdies and was five behind the leader after 15 holes.

Jordan Spieth gave his bid to complete the career Grand Slam a boost this week, shooting a four-under-par 67 to finish the week at eight under.

LIV Golf's Koepka, looking to become the PGA Championship's first repeat winner since defending the title in 2019, began the day five shots behind the lead but fell back after going five over on his first 13 holes.

Scheffler, the world number one, began the day at Valhalla Golf Club three shots behind the lead and had shot even par or better in each of his last 42 official rounds on the PGA Tour, but he left himself out of position and paid the price.

Scheffler made a double-bogey on the par-four second, where he found a bunker off the fairway and hit his next shot into the deep rough near the green, where he needed two shots to get out before two-putting from 40 feet.

Scheffler then three-putted for bogey on the par-three third hole before salvaging a bogey on the par-four fourth, where his tee shot sailed out of bounds, leaving him seven shots behind the leader.

The reigning Masters champion, chasing back-to-back majors and a fifth win in six starts, then combined two birdies and a bogey before turning seven shots back of the leader.

Scheffler had entered the fray on Friday, shortly after being arrested on four counts, including second-degree assault on a police officer, following what he described as a "big misunderstanding" as he attempted to enter Valhalla.

SportsLigue