CNN
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On the move day at the 2025 PGA Championship, early thunderstorms turned into clear skies, with fans of true classic excitement screaming for the first two days of the tournament at the Cool Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
And it all started with one player, Scotty Schaeffler.
The world’s No. 1 is back to doing things on the expected golf course.
The 28-year-old shot a ferocious 6-under 65 that day before shoving himself at the top of the leaderboard, leaving the tournament’s 11-under par.
He sits three strokes in front of Alex Noren. Alex Noren shot five under par in the third round on Saturday, making it the eight under par of the tournament.
Schaeffler is now 18 holes away from doing things he’s never done – earning a major that isn’t a master.
The two major winners won the Augusta National twice in 2022 and 2024.
Schaeffler said it would mean “a lot” to bring home the third major championship.
“These tournaments are very important to us and you have the chance to work for the rest of your life and win major tournaments. Tomorrow, I have a good chance to get out there and win a golf tournament.”
“But it’s going to take another really good round. There are a lot of great players chasing me on the leaderboard and someone is trying to make a great round. It’s up to me to get out there and have a really good round and finish the tournament. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Schaeffler became the 48th player in golf history and won more than three majors.
Schaeffler and Noren will tee off together on Sunday at 2:40pm ET.
In the first two rounds, names were seen that were unlikely to claim the top of the leaderboard.
Jonattan Vegas.
After becoming a Venezuelan, after gaining a lead or co-lead in the majors, Vegas was trying to claim his first victory in one of the most valuable tournaments in golf.
Saturday had more struggles than he was not 40 years old.
Vegas shot a two-over par to knock the leaderboard over and came in fifth with Liv Golf stars John Ram and Siu Kim.
Despite sitting on a five-stroke behind Schaeffler, Vegas still can achieve something he has never done before in his golfing career.
Get his first top 20 finish in the majors.
“That’s why golf is the worst four-letter word in the world,” Bryson Deccanbeau told reporters after the third round on Saturday.
Liv Golf Star sunk five birdies in the round to reach 8 under par, reaching the one-stroke lead of Vegas and Davis Riley at the time before stepping into the teebox on hole 16.
However, Quazur Hollow’s infamous “Green Mile” ate him and spits him out, and the lead leaves and potentially not coming back.
On the bogey on the 16th, the double bogey on the 17th saw him fall to five under par and sit in his tie to get eighth in Sunday’s final round.
Dechambeau added that the wind was considered with a poor finish in the round, but “controls what he can control” on a considerable ground to catch up.
“It was a series of unfortunate events that I could handle. It’s just golf. Sometimes it happens,” Deccanbeau said.
The 31-year-old will tee off with Tony Finau at 2pm.
