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Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele tied at the top at Valhalla
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Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele tied at the top at Valhalla

Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele will share the lead heading into the final round of the US PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

Xander Schauffele

Schauffele has led the way since an opening 62 but he has been reeled in by the field and will have a packed leaderboard to contend with on Sunday.

A second consecutive 68 in round three moved him to 15 under as he looks for a first Major Championship title and he was joined there by 2020 champion Morikawa who carded a 67.

Another American in Sahith Theegala was at 14 under after a 67 of his own, one shot clear of Major winners Shane Lowry and Bryson DeChambeau and Norway's Viktor Hovland.

Irishman Lowry had a 12-footer on the last for the first 61 in Major history but had to settle for a record-equalling 62 after starting the day eight shots off the lead.

The fireworks may have belonged to Lowry on Moving Day but all eyes on Sunday will be on the United States Ryder Cup stars as they look to make it a ninth consecutive home winner.

Schauffele has two runner-up finishes and six top tens from 12 starts in 2024 but is looking for a first win since the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open.

"It's another Sunday," he said. "I typically love Sundays. I think I need to really just stay in my lane and do a lot of what I've been doing and just worry about myself. You want the lead. Against these guys, you want as many shots as you can possibly take, no matter how nerve-racking it can be.

Morikawa followed his victory at this event with a World Golf Championships title, a second Major at The Open and the Race to Dubai title in 2021 but then had to wait over two years for his next win at the Zozo Championship.

He has recorded four top tens since that victory in October - including a tie for third in the Masters Tournament - and is now searching for a third Major in just his 18th start.

"I've just got to be focused on myself," he said. "I've played against all these guys. It's not like any of these guys are new. They all have their accolades within themselves and really anyone can go low.

"I learned a lot over this past month, over these past two years, over the past five years of being a pro and we're going to really just have a talk with myself."

Morikawa missed a short putt to bogey the second but he chipped in at the third and when he holed a 14-foot putt on the fifth he was in a share of the lead.

Both he and Schauffele were treading water however compared to Lowry, who surged into a share of the lead.

He put an approach to 14 feet at the second, a tee-shot to similar range at the third, made a 19-foot birdie on the fourth and hit a beautiful approach into the fifth for four in a row.

A two-putt gain on the seventh and 17-foot putt on the ninth saw him turn in 29 before a long, snaking putt on the 13th maintained his momentum, with another from over 30 feet on the next handing him a share of the lead.

Schauffele made a two-putt birdie of his own on the seventh to edge ahead but Lowry joined him from six feet on the 17th before parring the last.

A 21-footer to get up and down at the tenth had Schauffele ahead again and another lengthy putt on the 14th meant his advantage was two but it would be all change at the 15th.

The leader found heavy rough with his second and could only advance his next shot ten feet, surrendering a double-bogey and leaving the door wide open for the chasing pack.

Morikawa had joined Schauffele in taking advantage of the par-five tenth and with his playing partner's mistake, he made a six-footer on the 15th that wiped its feet to take the solo lead at 14 under.

Schauffele hit back on the 17th with a stunning approach to join Morikawa but they were starting to back up at 13 under, with DeChambeau chipping in at the last for an eagle to complete a 67 also containing three birdies and a bogey.

Hovland had been quietly going about his business, making the most of the par-five seventh and hitting a stunner into the next but he was still two under for his round stood on the 15th tee.

He then left himself seven feet on the 15th, a tap-in on the 17th and made a two-putt birdie on the last to sign for a 66 and fly up the leaderboard.

Theegala looked like he was slipping out of contention with bogeys on the fifth and sixth but he birdied the ninth, tenth, 11th and 13th and chipped in at the 15th to briefly share the lead.

He also made a two-putt birdie on the last but Schauffele got up and down and Morikawa made a gain after laying up to keep him at bay.

England's Justin Rose played alongside Lowry and carded a 64 to get to 12 under alongside Scot Robert MacIntyre, who carded a 66.

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