Pga Field Seems Set For A Frenzied Finish
The numbers on top of the leaderboard at the PGA Championship told only part of the story. Russ Cochran was out front after three rounds, with Mark Brooks and Vijay Singh two strokes back.
But there was a sense of unfinished business at Valhalla Golf Club, a gut feeling that the guy who will be holding the trophy Sunday was hiding somewhere down the leaderboard.
Cochran’s course-record 65 on Saturday gave him the lead at 11-under-par 205, with Brooks and Singh poised perfectly at 207.
But - and what a but this is - at 208 were defending champion Steve Elkington, two-time PGA winner Nick Price and Phil Mickelson, who has won three times this year.
And four shots off the lead at 209 was Greg Norman, the only man to finish in the top 10 in all three majors this year and the only man who seems to be on the leaderboard of every major championship every year.
This was a drama far from over. Act IV seems certain to contain an unseen twist that will leave the galleries gasping.
“There are guys up there who have won and guys up there who have never won a major championship,” said Brooks, who like Cochran, Singh and Mickelson was among the latter. “Your guess is as good as mine what it will take to win. I think 11 under - easily.”
If that’s the case, then even former U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen at 210 and British Open winner Tom Lehman at 211 have an outside chance.
That something strange might be in store was brought home strongly on Saturday when the wrong golfer who swings from the wrong side of the ball took the lead.
It was Mickelson and not Cochran - who had to requalify for his PGA Tour card last year after missing three months with neck problems - who seemed likely to become only the second left-hander ever to win a major championship.
But Mickelson lost his putting stroke and stumbled to a 74, still in contention but looking much less confident than he did Friday.
“I’m disappointed but I still have an outside shot if I come out (today) and shoot a good number,” Mickelson said. “I wish I was that other lefty right now.”
Cochran and Mickelson are the only two left-handers playing full time on the tour and each is trying to do something done only once before in the long history of professional golf.
Bob Charles won the 1963 British Open at Royal Lytham, the only time in 359 major championships a left-hander has won.
Cochran, who has never contended in a major championship on Sunday, will have plenty of people to put pressure on him - people who have been there before.
“All in all I’m in good position,” Price, who won the PGA in 1992 and ‘94, said after shooting a 69. “I’m very comfortable with where I am, but giving anyone three shots at the start of the last round is not fun.”
Norman, who made birdies on the last three holes to shoot a 69, was also comfortable with his position.
“We’ve got a chance to win,” Norman said. “We’re right in the middle of it.” Asked if he’d rather be the hunted or the hunter Norman said: “It doesn’t matter as long as you’ve got a chance to win.”
Elkington birdied the last two holes to shoot a 67.
Cochran missed the cut 11 times this year but has played well recently, finishing second and 13th the last two weeks.
“I got off to a really good start today,” Cochran said, “and after I birdied Nos. 1 and 2, I turned to my caddie and said it was amazing how calm I felt.”
He carried that calm into the back nine as he made a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 13, a 6-footer on No. 15 and a 30-incher after a great chip on the last hole.
xxxx PGA Leaderboard Top scores Saturday after the third round of the 78th PGA Championship, played on the 7,144-yard, par-72 Valhalla Golf Club course: Russ Cochran 68-72-65-205 Mark Brooks 68-70-69-207 Vijay Singh 69-69-69-207 Steve Elkington 67-74-67-208 Nick Price 68-71-69-208 Phil Mickelson 67-67-74-208