Rory McIlroy produced a brilliant third-round 66 to walk off the course just one shot behind the leaders at the US PGA Championship. The Northern Irishman, bidding for back-to-back majors after successfully defending his Masters title last month, needed to climb the leaderboard on 'moving day'. He started the round tied for 30th after a second-round 67 helped him recover from a four-over opening round of 74.
McIlroy climbed the leaderboard impressively, carding six birdies in his round to draw level with overnight leaders Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy, who were just beginning their final rounds. He will be hoping that the later starters at the top cannot stretch the lead too far as he eyes more major glory on Sunday.
The leaderboard remained incredibly congested, but the tough challenge posed by Aronimink Golf Club over the first two days eased somewhat in glorious conditions as the morning starters attacked the course. McIlroy may have taken heart from seeing those ahead of him, including Michael Kim and Justin Rose, carding a string of birdies on the front nine as he started his attack.
A glorious approach yielded a birdie at the first, and his momentum was not to be stopped by a three-putt bogey at the fourth. He bounced back with a birdie at the fifth and unleashed a huge drive onto the green at the 390-yard sixth to pick up another shot. A fourth birdie at the ninth saw him turn in 32, and he was now just two shots back from the leading mark.
Low scores were being shot all around, as Rose matched the best round of the week with a 65 to move within two of the leaders – a score matched by American Chris Kirk and Norway's Kristoffer Reitan, also two back. Kirk was on course for a round of 63 as he briefly joined the leaders at four under, but he was left kicking himself after a double bogey at the last.
McIlroy began his assault on the back nine, with another brilliant approach giving him a birdie at the 11th before he got up and down from the sand at the 13th to pick up another shot. All of a sudden, the six-time major champion was level at the top of the leaderboard. A bogey at the par-three 17th will be a source of frustration, with a duffed bunker shot dropping him off the leaders, but he saved par at the last.
McIlroy will have his eyes on what the leading score is come the close on Saturday, with world number one Scottie Scheffler and European stars Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg among those within striking range of the leaders. After a wayward first round left his chances of a seventh major – which would make him the most successful European of the modern era – looking remote, McIlroy's response over the last two days has surely given him a shot on Sunday.
