Good morning America! An earlier Sunday start than expected, then, on account of all that rain, and the threat of lethal lightning, yesterday. We could have more of the same bad weather today, of course – there’s a fair chance the 98th PGA Championship will stretch into Monday, or even Tuesday – so nothing is set in stone. But for now, the plan is this: get the third round completed ASAP, with play starting at 7am local time (12 midday BST); then begin sending out players for the fourth and final round, using the same pairings as the third, at 8.40am (1.40pm BST). We’ll also be juggling, spinning plates, and attempting to walk while chewing gum. God speed, everyone.
So forgive the absence of a weighty preamble: it’s going to be a long day, one way or the other. Still, a little admin before we get going. Yesterday’s play: it might have been frustrating, but it was a good one for Kevin Kisner and Padraig Harrington, who both shot third-round 65s before the gloom descended. Today’s weather: a high chance of another dangerous squall; we just have to hope it somehow bodyswerves Baltusrol. Don’t cross delicate fingers too tightly, though. And the tee times for the players still to hit a third-round shot? Let’s not get hung up on minutiae, but weather permitting, they’ll all be on the course by 7.40am local time.
We’ll get going here the minute the players do. Meanwhile, a quick reminder of how the leaderboard looks after two-and-a-bit days.
-9: Walker, Streb
-7: Grillo, Day
-6: Stenson
-5: Kisner (F), Kaymer, Reed, Koepka
-4: Harrington (F), Simpson (6), McGirt (2), Summerhays (2), Matsuyama, English, Fowler, Donaldson
-3: Lieshman (17), Knox (F), Hatton (13), Casey (10), Curran (8), Senden (6), Scott (4), Bourdy (4), Hurley III (4), Spieth (1)
