7 Interesting Facts from Round 3 at Quail Hollow

Scottie Scheffler’s five-under close through the final holes Saturday might be the stat of the third round that defines the 107^th PGA Championship. The World No. 1 treated Quail Hollow like he had a controller in hand, navigating the Green Mile with video-game like precision. The late charge pushed him to 11-under par, giving him a three-stroke advantage as he marches towards hoisting his first Wanamaker Trophy.

Here are seven interesting stats provided by Elias Sports Bureau, ranging from Scheffler’s success to the odds of a comeback from deep down the leaderboard, from the third round at Quail Hollow.

• Scheffler, who has shot 69-68-65 this week, is the ninth player overall, and first since Dustin Johnson in 2020, to shoot in the 60s in the first round of a PGA Championship and then improve his score in both the second and third rounds. However, none of the previous nine players were able to improve their score from the third to final round.  

In other words, Scheffler will have a chance tomorrow to be the first player to shoot 69 or better in the first round of a PGA Championship and then improve his score in each subsequent round (if he shoots 64 or better).

• Most Major Championship Rounds in the 60s - since 2022

Rory McIlroy                26
Scottie Scheffler             25 (including today)
Xander Schauffele          20
Bryson DeChambeau    19  (including 69 today)
Shane Lowry                   17
Viktor Hovland             17

• Thirty-four of the last 35 winners of the PGA Championship were among the top 5 on the 54-hole leaderboard. Justin Thomas was T-7 entering the final round in 2022.

• Most times being either first or second on the leaderboard at the conclusion of a major championship round, since 2020 (including final round): Scottie Scheffler (13), Bryson DeChambeau (12), Rory McIlroy (11), Justin Rose (10), Brooks Koepka (10).  This is through the second round of the 2025 PGA Championship.
  
• The only major championship in which Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm all were among the top 10 on the leaderboard entering the final round of a major championship was at the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

• The only time that Alex Noren has entered the final round of a major championship among the top five on the leaderboard was at the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale (T-5 after 54, finished T-19).

• Here is a complete list of PGA Championship winners who were 3+ strokes behind the leader(s) entering the final round (sorted by recency):

Champion                  Year      Venue                      Strokes Back
Justin Thomas           2022    Southern Hills CC                  7
Martin Kaymer          2010    Whistling Straits GC             4
Padraig Harrington  2008    Oakland Hills CC                   3
Rich Beem                 2002    Hazeltine National GC         3
Steve Elkington         1995    Riviera CC                             6
Payne Stewart           1989    Kemper Lakes GC                 6
Jeff Sluman               1988    Oak Tree GC                          3
Larry Nelson             1987    PGA National GC                    3
Bob Tway                  1986    Inverness Club                       4
David Graham          1979    Oakland Hills CC                    4
John Mahaffey          1978    Oakmont CC                          7
Lanny Wadkins         1977    Pebble Beach Golf Links       6
Dave Stockton          1976    Congressional CC                  4
Don January              1967    Columbine CC                        4
Jack Nicklaus            1963    Dallas AC                               3
Bob Rosburg             1959    Minneapolis GC                     6