Brooks Koepka shrugs off the boos to lead PGA Championship into final round

US PGA Championship - full leaderboard

By James Corrigan, at Oak Hill Country Club

Brooks Koepka was booed on the first tee, but hailed on the 18th green. The LIV rebel turned the jeers into the cheers by the only way he knows how - with ominously composed golf in an intense major setting.

On six-under, Koepka holds a one-shot lead over Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Canadian Corey Conners and is on the brink of striking an almighty blow for the Saudi-funded circuit. After his runner-up finish in The Masters last month, the resurgent four-time major winner knows that a third USPGA title in five years is in tantalising sight.

And as a riposte to all those who heckled when his name was announced on Oak Hill’s opening tee, that would not be too shabby.

Playing partner Bryson DeChambeau was booed more heavily, but also shrugged off the hostility to shoot a 70 and on three-under stands the 2020 US Open champion is in fourth. It is remarkable to think that only two years ago this pair were involved in a feud that gripped the game, but now they are united in their LIV rebellion. It is funny what a few hundred million can do.

"I don't care. I mean, it's not a big deal," DeChambeau said when asked about the boos. "They are going to do that no matter what. You know what, look, it's New York, and I expect it here. I appreciate the fans. Them doing that to me it's like, okay, cool, no problem. If we got applause, that's fantastic and if not, you know what, whatever it is, it is."

DeChambeau, 29, has an obvious puncher’s chance, but after acknowledging that he “choked” at Augusta to allow Jon Rahm into the green jacket, after a pair of 66s, Koepka believes this is his to lose. “I know what I did at the Masters, but it won’t happen this time,” Koepka said. “It’s kind of irritating but I’ll never do it again.”

England can have hopes of winning its first Wanamaker Trophy in more than 100 years with Justin Rose in a tie for fifth with world No 2 Scottie Scheffler (73) on two-under, while Tommy Fleetwood has a sniff on one-over courtesy of a 68.

On one-under, Rory McIlroy is also in the hunt after a dramatic Saturday which featured a persistent downpour for the first eight hours of play, before the sun came out  - and then another almighty deluge.

In the brunt of the initial downpour, tempers boiled over with world No 1 Jon Rahm taking his frustration out on a fixed microphone - smashing it with his club after a shank - and Taylor Moore throwing his driver in disgust, not once but twice.

Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth uncharacteristically bellowed out a curse after hooking his opening drive and watching it hit a tree and divert into a block of temporary toilets. It was a day for the level head.

Credit to McIlroy because that is exactly what he has exhibited here all week. With his game erratic, patience has been the world No 3’s most important tool. He has taken the blows and also the opportunities and this battling one-under performance was the prime example of his fortitude.

He birdied two of the first five to move under par for the first time of the week and stand within just three of the lead, before bogeying three out of the next four.

In the past, we have seen McIlroy buckle in the midst of such a retreat. Not this time. He hit it to five feet from 100 yards on the 12th, two feet from approximately the same distance on the 13th and then enacted a great up and down on the 15th.

McIlroy started the week in downbeat fashion informing the press that he would not be answering any more questions on the Saudi-funded circuit. He does not regret his role as the de facto lead voice against the Greg Norman enterprise, but after a year in opposition he plainly feels that time at the dispatch box has taken its toll and it is time to concentrate on the golf.

The Northern Irishman - who has been laid low with a bug - did not expect much from this week. He missed the cut at The Masters, causing a huge hangover, and on his return to competition at Quail Hollow two weeks ago, his two-way miss came back.

He is still fighting his driver, but his approach play has progressed through each round and with the mallet putter back in the bag he is converting his chances. There was a bogey on the 17th, but he is in touch.

“My ability to just stick in there and show a little bit of grit and determination and not let rounds get away from me too much,” McIlroy said.

“I’m not letting the rounds get away from me. That's what I've done well this week. I mean, look, I'd obviously like to be a couple of shots closer to the lead, but if you’d have told me on Thursday night that I'd be going into Sunday in the top five and with a realistic chance to win this golf tournament, I would have taken it.”

Michael Block is a remarkable story - dare we call it Rocky in slacks? The 46-year-old club pro from California is eighth on level par after a 70.

Dreams make the golf world spin, but if he can just stay where he is, he will earn more than $300,000, and as he said “that is a lot of lessons”.

12:24 AM

Join us tomorrow

For what promises to be a fascinating final round - all I'll say is that while anyone within five-six shots is still in with a chance Koepka is looking ominously good.

12:23 AM

The final pair are in the clubhouse

Conners did remarkably well to par the last two after the horror show in the bunker on the 16th. He's just one back of Koepka on five-under. Playing partner Scheffler also fought back well after his poor start - that saw him bogey four of his first seven holes. He heads into tomorrow on two-under, definitely still part of the conversation.

12:13 AM

So...

....as it stands there are only seven under par heading into the final 18 holes. Did I say this is still wide open?

Six-under: Koepka
Five-under: Hovland, Conners
Three-under: DeChambeau
Two-under: Rose, Scheffler
One-under: McIlroy

12:10 AM

Hovland bogeys the 18th

He's back to five-under and Koepka leads by one. The Norwegian shot a level-par 70 and is in good shape heading into the final round.

12:01 AM

Conners escapes the 16th with a double bogey

After that bunker problem that's probably not a bad score. He's now back to five-under, only one back of the leaders, Koepka and Hovland. It was hsi first bogey of the day and it's fair to say it was a memorable one...

11:56 PM

The LIV lads are done

Brooks Koepka will likely be in the final pairing for the second major running. He's shot a four-under 66 (easily the best round of the day) and heads into the fourth round on six-under. His playing partner Bryson DeChambeau will head into the last 18 holes on three-under after a level-par round of 70.

Said it before this evening and I'm about to say it again - Koepka looks ominously good.

11:51 PM

When I say Conners is in trouble...

...I mean he's just thinned a shot from a fairway bunker smack into the lip and the ball has buried itself. Cue long chat with a  rules official and the decision to give the Canadian a free drop. Alas, he then hits his third into the rough short of the green. He's about to lose his lead...

11:39 PM

Koepka moves to six-under

He's looking ominously good, isn't he? Just was with his previous four majors he looks composed and ready to pounce on every chance, which is what he does at the 17th, draining a 46-foot putt.

He's now one-back of Conners, who is currently in trouble on the 16th...

11:37 PM

Justin Rose finishes with a par

An he'll go into the final 18 holes on two-under. As with McIlroy it could so easily have been better but he'll definitely be one to watch tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Michael Block cards a 70 (his third in a row) to head into the last day at level par. What a performance from the club pro, and what a man!

11:30 PM

A reminder that this time last year

Justin Thomas was seven shots back heading into the final round at Southern Hills.

Anyone within six shots of the leaders has a decent (ish) chance.

11:26 PM

Koepka has a great chance to move to six-under and...

...the co-lead, at the 16th but his 20-foot putt misses on the low side. He'll stay at a not-to-be-sniffed-at five-under. His playing partner, DeChambeau, stays at three-under.

They then move to the 17th and hit perfect drives.

11:14 PM

Rory McIlroy speaks to Sky Sports

On his round...

On what the most important thing for him tomorrow will be...

11:11 PM

Rory's round is done

And he's finished with a par at the last. He'll go into the final round on one-under and will definitely be in contention. His one-under round - as so often with McIlroy - could have so easily have been better, but with tomorrow promising to offer up lower scores he'll fancy his chances providing he can keep the ball on the fairway (a big IF, going on the first three rounds).

Playing partner and good mate, Shane Lowry, ends on one-over and he, too, isn't out of it.

10:58 PM

Oh Rory...

As with the front nine, just when you thought he was going to make a move further toward the leaders he drops a shot. This bogey comes at the par-four 17th. The trouble arrives due to finding the rough from the tee (no shock there - everything about these first three rounds has emphasised just how important find the fairway is...). He has to chop out with his second, and with his third he goes over the back of the elevated green. He does very well to get up and down from there to limit the damage to just a bogey. He's back at one-under.

10:54 PM

Koepka moves to within one

Thanks to his new best bud (not really...) DeChambeau the four-time major winner birdies the 13th. The former muscle man (DeChambeau) putts for a six (to move back to one-under) but in doing so gives Koepka the read. The former world No.1 doesn't pass up on the good fortune and drains his 18-footer to get to five-under.

10:50 PM

Conners is joined by Hovland at the top of the leaderboard

That's due to the smiley Norwegian registering back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th. He's at six-under. Meanwhile, Conners continues his impressive round - no bogeys, one birdie - with another par at the 12th.

10:48 PM

Rose pars the par-three 15th

Thanks to a nice 10-foot par save. Meanwhile, Block, the man of the moment, birdies it to move to level-par.

10:44 PM

A word on Michael Block - the real star of the tournament

The club pro is playing with Justin Rose and has just birdied the driveable par-four 14th to get back to one-over. He gets pat on the back by the Englishman (who stays at three-under having hit his drive into the rough, short-right of the green) and looks like he's having the time of his life. It's Roy of the Rovers stuff.

10:39 PM

It's raining birdies!

Not written that this tournament, but I can now as both McIlroy and Koepka have got shots back. The former at the par-four 16th and the latter at the par-four 12th. Rory is now at two-under and Brooksy at four-under.

They're bunching up nicely and tomorrow is promising to be some big-name prizefight - delightful!

10:28 PM

They'll all be glad they only have to play the sixth one more time

Here's more on the brute of a hole...

READ: 'It's pretty stinking hard' – Oak Hill's hellish sixth stunning world's best by playing 180-over par

10:26 PM

Trouble for Rose

The Englishman has shortsided himself with his third in the greenside rough at the par-five 13th. His first attempt to chip onto the dancefloor goes all of about two yards - the club getting stuck in the thick cabbage. He's staring a double-bogey in the face but a fantastic flop shot next up (what he was attempting with his initial attempt) give him a three-footer for a one-shot blemish.

10:17 PM

The top of the leaderboard

Six-under: Conners
Four-under: Hovland, Rose
Three-under: Koepka
Two-under: DeChambeau
One-under: Scheffler, Suh, McIlroy

10:10 PM

It's raining again

As in pouring...thought the appearance of the sun and T-shirts was too good to be true.

10:09 PM

Conners is showing no nerves at all

He's now at six-under thanks to birdie at the eighth - that's a two-shot lead and he's doing what he needs to do and more. He's always been great tee to green, but so far this week he's in the top 10 for putting and if he keeps that up he could well end up as the champion.

09:59 PM

Back-to-back birdies for Rory!

I did say we should expect fireworks this nine. McIroy loves a par-five and he pays this one (the 13th) to perfection. On in three (it is over 600 yards in the wet...) before sinking the three-foot putt. He's back to one-under, four shots back with a drivable par-four to come. Interesting.

09:56 PM

Justino!

Rose is on the charge. He's just birdied the par-three 11th - draining a 20 footer downhill putt - to move to four-under, one behind Conners.

09:54 PM

The rain has stopped

I repeat, the rain has stopped.

The monsoon is over and Noah has stopped building his boat...The golfers are even wearing T-shirts out there - scenes!

Added to that we're into the back nine which is playing two shots easier than the front so expect some fireworks over the next couple of hours.

09:45 PM

That bit of luck wasn't capitalised on by Scheffler

He ultimately bogeys the eighth and drops back to one-under. Four-over for the day. I, and I expect many of you, didn't see that coming when he started his round co-leading on five-under.

09:43 PM

Here's that bouncing bomb of a shot from Scheffler

09:42 PM

We're not seeing much of Corey Conners

But the Canadian is doing all he needs to - he's registered six straight pars to stay on five-under and leads by two over Hovland and Koepka, who bogeyed the seventh.

09:40 PM

Rory is back to level par

He makes like work of the five-foot birdie putt on 12 and with some of the easier holes to come this is a big 40 minutes or so coming his way. Pick up a shot or two and he'll be lurking with intent.

09:39 PM

More woe for Scheffler

He's bogeyed the seventh to drop back to two-under. That's three-under for the day and it brings back memories of Augusta this year when he went into the weekend looking ominously good before falling away over the final two rounds.

As I type he's just got a huge break on the eighth - he hits an iron out of the rough under a tree, he doesn't get a clean strike and it goes into the creek. BUT like the Barnes Wallis' bouncing bomb it skips on the water and comes out the other side.

09:35 PM

Rory is on the 12th and lying on one-over

But he's just fired in a majestic approach to a tricky back-left pin position and he'll have roughly a five-footer to get back to level par.

No one in the leading groups is making a move beyond the leading overnight score of five-under. So, and sorry to sound like a broken record here, anyone within a few shots going into tomorrow will have a decent chance of victory. He does need to knock that one in, though.

09:32 PM

It's not beyond the realms of possibility that...

...Tommy Fleetwood could end up being champion tomorrow. He's just finished his round and what a round it was (sounding like Bruce Forsyth, there, I admit...) . He shot a two-under 68 (not many will beat that score today) to end on one-over. Justin Thomas proved last year you can win back from several shots behind in the final 18 holes and they way the course is playing anyone within six or seven - if they can get a fast start - will fancy their chances.

09:22 PM

Watch out for Justin Rose!

The 2012 US Open champion is most definitely on the charge. He's gone birdie-birdie at seven and eight - the latter thanks to sinking a 34-foot putt. Rose is now at three-under and lurking with intent.

09:16 PM

The sixth has another victim

And it's DeChambeau. The (less) beefy American has walked off the green with a double bogey to move back to two-under. His trouble started off the tee as he drove into the creek on the right. He took the one-shot penalty but then compounded the earlier error by hitting 215 yards into the greenside bunker. He was unable to get up and down from there and the brute of a hole has chewed up yet another golfer.

There were no such problems for his playing partner Koepka who walked off with a par to stay at four-under, one off Conners (who is level par through five) who is the sole leader.

09:10 PM

Been meaning to get a pic of Phil Mickelson from today for you

Is it just me, or are there strong Gwyneth Paltrow-in-eyewear vibes about Lefty?

For comparison, here she is in her now-famous specs...

09:03 PM

Horror for Hovland

The smiley Norwegian isn't grinning ear to ear as he usually does. He's just posted back-to-back bogeys the second of which was thanks to that ugly golfing term, the dreaded 'three-putt'. He's back to three-under.

The rain is still falling, it's not as hard as before, but earlier it was a monsoon so that's not saying much.

08:51 PM

Here he comes...

The 'he' being Koepka. The four-time Major champion has birdied the par-three fifth - thanks to a 12-foot putt - to move to four-under. He's now only one shot back of the lead, which is now held solely by Conners (Hovland has bogeyed the fourth). When Koepka is in this mood, with a sniff of a major title, he is tough to beat. Ominous.

08:48 PM

We're not seeing much of Justin Rose

But he's level-par for the round so remains on one-under. He dropped a shot at the par-four second, but was able to get it back at the par-five fourth. If he can keep things going he'll be one to watch tomorrow.

08:44 PM

Rory is back to level-par

Both early birdies have been given back by McIlroy. This one due to finding the rough off the tee from there he could only find the front greenside bunker and, with a tight pin position, he was unable to get up and down.

That, as with many bogeys today and this week, illustrates the importance of finding the fairway off the tee.

08:37 PM

DeChambeau has started well

The former Mr Universe (not strictly true, but you catch my drift...) has birdied the par-three third thanks to draining a 30-foot putt. He's now at four-under, one back of Conners and Hovland.

08:34 PM

One for some of the young among you

There are a lot of baseball caps being worn back to front in order to prevent a waterfall forming from the peaks in front of their faces. This, I am informed, apparently, makes them all look a bit like Ash from Pokemon when he's strutting his stuff. Any of you get the cultural reference?

08:29 PM

Scheffler is struggling

When on song it's hard to see him putting a stroke wrong. But he's pulled a couple of shots so far and just registered back-to-back bogeys. The first courtesy of a three-putt (yuck), the second thanks to finding the greenside bunker and being unable to get up and down. He's now back to three-under.

08:23 PM

Bogey for Rory

BUT don't fret - it did come at the challenging sixth (challenging meant as a euphemism...) so no huge shock and won't have lost ground to the rest of the field. His second flew into rough, right of the green. He was unable to get up and down from there and drops back to one-under.

Here's the brute of a hole they're all fearing.

08:13 PM

Scottie Scheffler is under way

And it's not been a great start for the world No.2. He was on the green in two BUT he three-putted (ouch) and moves back to four-under leaving Conners and Hovland as co-leaders at five-under.

Here's how much of a SHOCK that was...

07:56 PM

McIlroy on the move!

He makes the five-footer and is at two-under - to state the obvious, that's just the start he was looking for. The front nine is playing at two-over so far today and Rory is moving in the right direction. He's playing in a rain jacket so Rich Beem, on Sky Sports comms, speculates that he may be swinging within himself.

07:53 PM

More par-three magic from McIlroy

He's on the fifth and just fired in a mid iron at the 184-yard three-shotter to within five feet - GREAT (yep, caps lock is appropriate) chance to get to two-under for the day and tournament.

07:48 PM

The LIV lads

DeChambeau and Koepka clearly didn't let the boo boys get to them (yet) as they both walk off the first green with a pair of pars.

Meanwhile, one guy who is getting nothing but cheers, Michael Block, has birdied the second having bogeyed the first. The club pro is back to level par.

07:40 PM

More on that LIV pairing from James Corrigan at Oak Hill...

07:39 PM

The deadly duo of Koepka and DeChambeau

Have their third rounds under way. It will be interesting to see the body language between the pair. Apparently relations are less frosty than they were...anyway, Koepka is on two-under and his former nemesis is on three-under.

07:30 PM

Bridie for Rory!

His tee shot at the par-three third was pin-point and left him a five-footer for the welcome bird - he did not look the gift horse in the mouth and moves to one-under. This is getting interesting.

07:25 PM

Good chance for DJ goes begging at the fourth

His third to the par-five left him with a 10-footer for birdie, but the American misses on the high side and will stay at one-over. Solid start of four pars nonetheless.

07:22 PM

Time for Tarren

Callum Tarren only dropped one shot yesterday, not many can say that. He's on two-under on the tee box and here's a good omen.

The Englishman, alas, pulls his opening drive.

07:20 PM

A pair of pars for Rory

To start the round with. He was on the green in two at the second and made a solid two-putt. He stay as level par, as does Lowry.

07:17 PM

Here's Block interviewed after the second round

A good illustration of why he seems like on of the good guys.

07:15 PM

Justin Rose finds the fairway at the first

He's at one-under and playing alongside the star of the tournament so far (for me at least...), Michael Block. The club pro heads into his third round at level-par and the hero for all club pros across the world. He did a mid-round interview on Thursday and came across as humble, generous and good fun (try seek it out, if you can). Let's hope he can keep up his good form, though, he has just pulled his opening drive.

07:03 PM

Dustin Johnson is level for his round through two

There are several big, experienced names who will be only too aware that if they can stay within six shots of the lead today then there is a chance of a surge tomorrow with the better forecast and soft conditions.

It's a day when par isn't just your friend; it's your best buddy and first-choice best man...

06:58 PM

The announcer is clearly 'great with faces, awful with names'

Those two well-known golfers Roy McIlroy and Sean Lowry...ahem...

06:56 PM

Good par-save from McIlroy

He had a bit more room to play with that I thought and he got up and down from the rough to stay at level-par. Lowry also walks off the first with a four and he, too, stays at level.

06:52 PM

Rory short sides himself at the first

His 314-yard drive left him 150-yard to the pin tucked on the right of the green. He went at the flag and found the greenside rough - will be a tricky up and down from there.

06:46 PM

Good things come to those who wait

06:43 PM

Rory finds the first fairway

Decent start to say the least...he's playing alongside his good friend and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry. Meanwhile, the 2019 Champion Golfer of the World pulls his opening drive way left.

06:37 PM

Rory is about to get his third round under way

He's within five shots of the current leaders. That's despite him calling his first round a 'mess' and not being at his best yesterday. His driving has been off and he's also been fighting a bug. But if he's over the worse of the illness then here's a stat for the world No.3 and his fans to feast on.

06:35 PM

The rain continues to tumble

And as Nick Dougherty on Sky Sports has just said it should be renamed Soak Hill (wished I'd thought of that one first...). The course is holding up well, though, so far at least...fingers crossed there are no delays.

It's playing two shots tougher today than the first two rounds and the reason for that is that if you do find the rough (and you will) then it's even harder to get out than it was on days one and two.

Always one to try and take the positive out of the soggy negative the flip side is that the forecast is good for tomorrow, so there will be some low Sunday scores. Anyone within six shots of the lead going into the final round will have a chance.

06:15 PM

Dustin Johnson's third round is under way

And the big-hitter finds the fairway - a must in these conditions.

06:14 PM

As if to illustrate Justin Thomas may not have enjoyed today

06:13 PM

BREAKING NEWS: There's been a birdie on the sixth...

...but who's it gone to Chris Kamara?

Luckily for you lot I actually do know. It's gone to none other than Tommy Fleetwood. The Englishman was, just, on the dance floor in two and he might well have fancied a wee jig of celebration after draining his 70-foot putt. He's two-under for the round and at one-over.

06:08 PM

Justin Thomas has had better days on the course

The defending champion's third round is over and he's on 10-over. The round under the pouring rain featured six bogeys and just the one birdie. I rather fancy he'll be rushing back to his rental house (don't any of them stay in hotels?!) run a long, hot bath and forget his sodden struggles.

05:58 PM

Adam Scott has dropped another shot

The Australian's drive found the left rough (again) and while he was able to get out of the cabbage and onto the green he three-putted (ouch, just typing it hurts...) so he's now on four-over. His playing partner Morikawa parred the par-four and he stays at level par.

05:54 PM

More on Jon Rahm

He struggled in round one, came back in round two, but round three has seen the world No.1 and Masters champion return to Thursday's form. He's at nine-over now (through 11) after six bogeys and just the solitary birdie so far.

05:44 PM

While Scott struggles

His playing partner Collin Morikawa is going the other way. The world No.16 birdied the first to move back to one-over. If he can finish under-par for his round you fancy that he'll be part of the conversation tomorrow.

05:37 PM

Poor start for Adam Scott

He's pulled both his opening drives (strange as his driving on day one was close to perfect). The tee shot on the first resulted in a bogey so the Aussie is down to three-over. He'll do well to avoid another blemish on the second.

05:33 PM

Our Tommy

(That's Fleetwood, in case you were wondering...) moves to two-over thanks to a birdie at the second. The affable Englishman only had 129 yards to the pin for his second and he stiffed it to four feet and he made no mistake with the flat stick. He'll have double reason to celebrate as his team, Everton, grabbed a draw from the jaws of defeat at Wolves. Will that help them avoid relegation and will it inspire Tommy to a much-needed low round?

05:14 PM

So, more on the brutal sixth hole

I've always wondered what the anxiety dreams of world-class sport stars are. I've always doubted they include doing a chemistry GCSE having done no revision for years or doing a French oral exam and being unable to speak anything, let alone French (welcome to my weird, worried dreams...). I've always thought that for footballers it would be having to take a a penalty in a World Cup final barefooted, or for cricketers they might include facing the Windies pace attack of the 1980s without any pads or bat. For golfers the anxiety dream may well be playing the sixth at Oak Hill.

Friday's average score on the 503-yarder was 4.75 – only the fourth at Royal St George’s in 2011 has proved more difficult in major history. The cumulative score on the par-four for the first two days was 180-over. In short, it's a brute, though some golfers may well use more fruity language.

Here's James Corrigan's report on the hole that's causing consternation among the world's best golfers.

READ: 'It's pretty stinking hard' – Oak Hill's hellish sixth stunning world's best by playing 180-over par

04:59 PM

Tommy Fleetwood's third round is under way

And it's got off to a solid start with a par. He stays at three-over as does his playing partner, the ever-controversial Patrick Reed. Both will need to find some birdies to be part of the conversation tomorrow. Both have the game to do just that, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility.

04:54 PM

Top 10 only

04:35 PM

Did I say it was raining?

04:28 PM

Having topped the ball at the seventh

Pieters managed to par the hole so stays at two-over.

04:27 PM

Here are the notable tee-times still to come

16:30 P Reed (US), T Fleetwood (Eng)

18:40 R McIlroy (NI), S Lowry (Ire)

19:10 J Rose (Eng), M Block (US)

19:20 C Tarren (Eng), T Pendrith (Can)

19:30 B DeChambeau (US), B Koepka (US)

19:40 V Hovland (Nor), J Suh (US)

19:50 S Scheffler (US), C Conners (Can)

The one at 19.30 looks tasty - the first time the two rivals have been paired with each other in a major.

04:16 PM

And here is the shot of shame

Apologies to Thomas P.

04:13 PM

There's a weekend hacker in everyone

And as if to illustrate that point, Pieters, yes, Pieters the hottest golfer out on the course right now (four-under for his round through six) has just topped the ball all of five yards. It was in the rough, but the Belgian had what looked like a three-wood in his hands and was going for the green in two (on the seventh). Ultimately, it only goes to prove that we're all human (and that some of us do love a bit of schadenfreude...).Will find a video of said shot and post as soon as I get it.

04:02 PM

Rain

Is needed to grow crops to feed us, to fill reservoirs so we can drink, to fill rivers so new-age types can go wild swimming, so overall it's a good thing. But once in a while when it turns up - holidays, BBQs and Test cricket to name but three examples - it can be a bit of a pain. This could be one of those times. Puddles are forming on the fairways and greens at Oak Hill and I wouldn't be shocked if there is some sort of rain delay coming...

Hopefully, I've just jinxed it...

03:56 PM

Pieters pars the sixth

A hole that Sky Sports' (and former Ryder Cupper) Andrew Coltart has described as the 'hardest hole in the world'. That will, therefore, likely feel like a birdie.

His current stats are - Fairways found - 4/4, Greens in regulation - 6/6, one-putts - four. Think the word to describe those is ''useful'.

03:52 PM

Another fine golfer to have moved to LIV...

...is Thomas Pieters. The Belgian is four-under for his round (through five) and is showing that, even with the heavy rain, you can score on this layout. He is, however, currently on the sixth, the hardest hole on the course and for many, possibly the hardest in majors in recent memory (more on that later).

He's now at one-over.

03:41 PM

Cam Smith is a delightful golfer to watch

And he offers up Exhibit A in that view with a brilliant iron from the rough, some 173 yards away, over the pin at the second to leave himself with a nine-foot putt for par. And, as you'd expect with one of the best, if not the best, putters in the world, the Aussie nails it and moves to three-over.

Meanwhile, his playing partner Jon Rahm goes the other way. It's an opening back-to-back bogeys for the Masters champion and he's now back to six-over. Ouch.

03:25 PM

Jon Rahm hinted at some sort of comeback yesterday

And to be fair he did well to make the cut. But he's one over through one today to move back to five-over. He's playing with Cam Smith who, of all the players to move to Greg Norman's happy band of campers (aka LIV), is the one I (and I reckon most of you out there) miss seeing the most. The Champion Golfer of the Year parred the opening hole and stays at four-over.

03:07 PM

Justin Thomas goes within three inches of a birdie on the tricky sixth

He pulls his 10-yard putt just right of the hole.

03:05 PM

Cameron Smith gets his round under way

The Australian sends it over to the right rough.

Jon Rahm is also off, paired with Smith. He lands in the left-hand fairway bunker.

02:45 PM

Mickelson (+7) with a double-bogey on the second

He found the fairway off the tee, but then pitched it too deep into that rough beyond the hole. I don't think he expected that second shot to fly quite so far.

He went past the pin with his third, leaving him with a lot of work for the par putt before running past the hole, eventually taking three putts to get down.

02:33 PM

Hoshino coming back after a poor start to the round

Japan's Hoshino has made back-to-back birdies to get back to +6, with long efforts on both the fifth and sixth. A mixed card for him so far, starting off with three bogeys in four before the two birdies.

02:24 PM

Mickelson (+5) and Hatton (+5)

Mickelson has narrowly missed his birdie putt on the first after a monster attempt which rolled just an inch off the line.

Both two-putt and get down for par.

02:17 PM

It's pouring down out there now

Tyrrell Hatton (+5) and Phil Mickelson (+5) have just gone off.

02:05 PM

Jordan Spieth bogeys the first

He's down to six-under. He's about to hit his approach on the second – which he hits to within three yards of the hole giving him a shout to recover immediately.

02:01 PM

Weather report

Rain is coming down now and there is a slight threat of thunder later in the day.

02:01 PM

For those tuning in

Coverage on Sky Sports has just started.

01:53 PM

The par-four sixth is set to ruin a few more scorecards this weekend

01:46 PM

Poor start for the first two out today

Mark Hubbard and Rikuya Hoshino have both bogeyed the first.

01:43 PM

Bryson DeChambeau (-3) is two off the lead

On his second round he didn't make his first birdie until the par-3 11th hole where he hit a 6-iron from 248 yards to 6 feet and then had two more birdies before a bogey finish. He's off alongside Brooks Koepka at 7:30pm BST. The 2020 US Open champion said:

01:35 PM

Jordan Spieth (+5) is out

Three-times major winner Jordan Spieth has just teed off alongside fellow American Lee Hodges.

This is the only major he hasn't got having come second to Jason Day in 2015.

01:08 PM

The cut was set at five-over last night, reflecting the difficulties faced by the players Thursday and Friday

Here are the first few groups that will be heading out in the next hour – plenty of majors between these players even though they're 10 off the lead.

13:10 M Hubbard (US), R Hoshino (Jpn)

13:20 Y Paul (Ger), D McCarthy (US)

13:30 J Spieth (US), L Hodges (US)

13:40 Z Johnson (US), J Thomas (US)

13:50 P Rodgers (US) H Kiga (Jpn)

14:00 A Smalley (US), T Detry (Bel)

14:10 T Hatton (Eng), P Mickelson (US)

01:01 PM

Three Canadians in the top-10, including Corey Conners who shares the lead

Taylor Pendrith (-1) and Adam Svensson (e) are in the mix behind Corey Conners (-5). Conners said:

12:56 PM

Third round hole locations

12:49 PM

Full leaderboard and tee times

Can be found here.

12:48 PM

Selected tee times for round three

All times BST.

14:10 T Hatton (Eng), P Mickelson (US)

15:00 C Smith (Aus), J Rahm (Spa)

16:30 P Reed (US), T Fleetwood (Eng)

18:40 R McIlroy (NI), S Lowry (Ire)

19:10 J Rose (Eng), M Block (US)

19:20 C Tarren (Eng), T Pendrith (Can)

19:30 B DeChambeau (US), B Koepka (US)

19:40 V Hovland (Nor), J Suh (US)

19:50 S Scheffler (US), C Conners (Can)

12:40 PM

Scottie Scheffler is part of three-way tie for the lead going into moving day

Good afternoon and welcome to Telegraph Sport's live coverage of the third round of the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.

The world No 2 Scottie Scheffler is tied for the lead on five-under alongside Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Canada’s Corey Conners, with LIV golf's Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka lurking just behind on three-under and two-under respectively.

Scheffler delivered a mix of birdies and great recoveries until he couldn't escape one last errant tee shot on the 18th that cost him the lead, but that certainly did little to dim his optimism.

“When you can hang around the lead and stay in position and hopefully wait to get hot, it's a good position to be in,” Scheffler said.

“I've done a good job the first two days of keeping the golf course in front of me and scrambling well,” he said.

“Tomorrow I’m hoping to hit a few more fairways than I did today, make it a little easier on myself. But ultimately, two under is a good round around this place.”

More rain is predicted for today after a wet Friday where Rory McIlroy carded a 69 for a halfway total of level par, five shots off the lead. He pledged to take an aggressive approach after surprisingly finding himself in contention.

"I think with how terribly I've felt over the ball, the fact I am only five back... I'm not saying it could be up there with one of my best performances but when I holed that (birdie) putt on the last I thought I can't believe I'm only five back," McIlroy said.

"If I can get the ball in play off the tee I'll have a shot and at this point I might just tee it high and bomb it everywhere. I may as well just swing it hard and go for it."

The third round begins at 1:10pm BST, with Mark Hubbard (USA) and Rikuya Hoshino (Japan) the first off.