NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, May 16 – Rory McIlroy mounted an impressive comeback at the PGA Championship, firing a third-round 66 on Saturday at Aronimink to surge back into title contention after struggling in his opening round.
The Masters champion, who started the tournament with a disappointing 74 before posting a bogey-free 67 on Friday to stay in the hunt, capitalized on improved course conditions and more favorable pin placements to reach three under par and share the clubhouse lead with Xander Schauffele.
McIlroy recorded six birdies against two bogeys in what ranked among the day’s finest performances, appearing much more at ease on a layout that had faced harsh criticism from multiple top players earlier in the tournament due to its challenging setup.
Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and overnight co-leaders Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley stayed in contention as the later groups worked through their rounds, while defending champion Scottie Scheffler also remained within reach despite experiencing difficulties converting scoring opportunities on the putting surfaces.
The more favorable Saturday weather conditions led to improved scoring after Aronimink had tested players severely during the opening two rounds with deep rough, gusty winds and controversial pin placements that created a tightly bunched leaderboard entering the weekend.
McIlroy’s dramatic turnaround completely altered the tournament dynamics after the Northern Irishman began Thursday’s play with four consecutive bogeys before rekindling his pursuit of back-to-back major championships following his Masters victory last month.
